Circuit breaker failure sparks fire at San Francisco substation, cutting power for hours
Apr 2017Published 15 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- substation at Larkin and Eddy Streets in Tenderloin, San Francisco
- Operator
- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E)
- What
- Circuit breaker failure caused fire and seven-hour power cut
- Cause
- massive failure of a circuit breaker
- Response
- San Francisco Fire Department used CO2 truck after 90 minutes
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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 21 April 2017, a fire broke out at a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) substation at Larkin and Eddy Streets in the Tenderloin neighbourhood of San Francisco. PG&E said the blaze was caused by the massive failure of a circuit breaker. The fire knocked out power for about seven hours to much of downtown and northern parts of the city, stranding people in elevators. The San Francisco Fire Department responded and the fire reportedly smouldered for about 90 minutes while crews worked to contain it, ultimately using their own CO2 truck to extinguish it.
A subsequent City Hall hearing raised concerns about the delay in notifying city officials, the availability of firefighting agents on site, and firefighter familiarity with the substation. PG&E said it was conducting a root cause investigation expected to take six to eight weeks and would share findings with the city. The substation was already undergoing a planned $100 million overhaul at the time.
Contributing factors
PG&E stated the fire was caused by the failure of a circuit breaker. City officials noted a lack of regular fire department inspections or drills at substations, insufficient chemical firefighting agents on hand, and delayed notification to city emergency officials after the fire started.
Lessons learned
- A circuit breaker failure at a substation can ignite a fire that requires on-site CO2 equipment, so operators must stock suitable agents and train crews in advance.
- Delayed notification to city officials after a substation fire extends outages and risks, so utilities must set up immediate alert protocols.
- Lack of regular fire department inspections at substations leaves crews unprepared, so joint drills should occur before any incident.
More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, maintenance, inspection and ageing assets, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Root cause from the six-to-eight-week investigation
- Model and age of the failed circuit breaker
- Exact cost of damage and overhaul impact
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-15. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
