PG&E shut off power for an estimated 7,400 customers scattered across San Francisco Friday, including the beleaguered Sunset District, as the SF Emergency Management Department warned residents Thursday that SF’s record-breaking heat wave could put a strain on the grid.

As the Chronicle reports, PG&E customers in various San Francisco neighborhoods experienced unplanned power outages Friday, according to a city employee. The utility’s updates reportedly caused confusion, leading to the impression that it was one big outage. Per the Chronicle, the outage was actually a series of smaller, separate outages impacting overlapping areas.

The utility announced around 6:15 pm Friday that power had been restored for most customers who lost power, as the Chronicle reports, citing equipment failure in an underground vault at 18th and Guerrero and a failed cable in a separate outage.

PG&E did not give a statement Friday on the causes of the outages, per the Chronicle, but the SF Department of Emergency Management had sent an alert to residents on Thursday to be prepared for power outages, as they’re common in extreme heat conditions.

Earlier on Friday, news outlets gave conflicting reports regarding how many customers were without power Friday afternoon. KTVU reported that around 7,400 PG&E customers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and Sunset District neighborhoods lost power Friday afternoon after the utility shut off service to repair a damaged section of its electrical system.

Per KTVU, the outage was reported around 2:30 pm, with most customers’ power restored within 40 minutes. Around 800 customers were still without power as of 3:10 pm, which was expected to be turned back on by 6:30 pm.

Additionally, the Chronicle and KRON4 reported that the Upper Market, Castro, and Lower Haight districts also lost power, which were expected to be restored around 8 pm.

The department of emergency management advised residents on social media to check PG&E for updates.

A large, unplanned power outage is impacting multiple neighborhoods and moving throughout the city.

Know where to check outage updates. Visit PG&E’s Outage Center or call 1-800-743-5002 for real-time outage maps, updates, and estimated restoration times. You can also sign up to… pic.twitter.com/puIIz7Bfaw

— San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (@SF_emergency) March 20, 2026

As SFist reported last weekend, an earlier unplanned PG&E outage occurred Sunday morning, affecting 3,600 addresses in the Richmond/Sea Cliff neighborhood, which was fully restored after three and a half hours. A PG&E representative told the Chronicle that the cause was being investigated.

SFist reported in January that a group of Sunset District business owners were suing PG&E over losses from the December 20 outage that left roughly 137,000 customers without power — some for multiple days during a peak holiday weekend.

PG&E’s CEO told the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Thursday, per KTVU, that the utility is working to improve communication, emergency response, and infrastructure following the December outage.

Image: SF Department of Energy Management/X

The story has been updated with new information about the outages.

Previously: Massive Power Outage In San Francisco Leaves 200,000+ In the Dark, Disrupts Muni and BART