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Power has been restored to most homes and businesses following a major outage that left large parts of San Francisco without electricity over the weekend, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

The outage began at approximately 1:09 p.m. on Saturday and peaked about two hours later, affecting roughly 130,000 customers, or about one-third of PG&E’s customers in the city, according to The Associated Press. By Sunday afternoon, service had been restored to most areas, though around 15,000 customers remained without power, primarily in the residential Richmond District.

The cause of the outage had not been fully determined, but PG&E confirmed that a fire at a company substation contributed to the disruption. The utility described the fire as “extensive,” adding that repairs and safe restoration were complex.

The outage caused widespread disruption across the city. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management reported significant transit impacts and urged residents to avoid travel if possible. Portions of Bay Area Rapid Transit and Muni bus routes were bypassed due to power loss, the AP reported. Social media users also reported mass closures of restaurants and shops.

Several autonomous Waymo robotaxis were reported to have stopped mid-ride Saturday night, blocking intersections.

PG&E said it has stabilized the power grid and does not expect additional outages. The utility advised residents to keep refrigerator doors closed and disconnect appliances, warning that overloaded circuits could pose a fire hazard as power is restored.

Source: nbcnews.com