Fire at PG&E Saratoga substation cuts power to 21,000 on Christmas Eve
Dec 2025Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- PG&E substation on Glen Brae Drive, Saratoga, California
- Operator
- Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)
- What
- Substation fire cut power to 21,000 customers
- Cause
- Equipment failure, investigation ongoing
- Outcome
- Fire self-extinguished, power restored by noon
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Pacific Gas and Electric
What happened
On Christmas Eve morning, a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) substation in Saratoga, California, caught fire and emitted black smoke, cutting power to around 16,500 customers directly, with additional outages in the wider area (about 21,000 total, some storm related). PG&E was alerted to the fire at 8:25am at its facility on Glen Brae Drive. The company said the fire went out on its own while crews were on site.
Power was restored to most customers by around 11:30am, with the remainder restored by noon. PG&E stated the cause was an equipment failure, with the investigation ongoing, and said it was too early to determine whether stormy weather contributed, noting a separate San Francisco substation-related outage the prior weekend. A local resident speculated a transformer had become overloaded, but this was not confirmed by PG&E.
Contributing factors
PG&E identified the cause as equipment failure, with further investigation ongoing. It was not yet confirmed whether stormy weather in the area contributed to the failure.
Lessons learned
- Substation equipment failure can trigger wide outages without external triggers. Operators should inspect and maintain substation assets on a routine schedule.
- A substation fire may self-extinguish once isolated. Crews need rapid response and monitoring to confirm isolation and prevent spread.
- Storm effects on substation equipment must be assessed promptly after events. Utilities should review weather data alongside failure analysis.
More lessons on maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, detection and monitoring, weather and external hazards, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Specific equipment that failed
- Whether storm contributed to failure
- Cost of damage and repairs
- Duration of full site restoration
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Christmas
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
