Underground Electrical Fire Causes Evacuations and Power Outages in San Francisco's Financial District
An underground electrical fire in San Francisco's Financial District led to evacuations, a shelter-in-place order, and power outages on Thursday morning. The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) responded around 6:04 a.m. to reports of smoke emanating from several utility vaults at 150 California Street, an office tower situated between Front and Davis streets. The incident involved eruptions in four vaults, with two manhole covers reportedly blown out. An SFFD official indicated that an 'electrical malfunction' was the probable cause of the fire. A unified command, including the San Francisco Police Department, SFFD, and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E), was established to manage the situation. PG&E began shutting down additional power, affecting nearby locations, and estimated electricity restoration by 10:45 a.m. No injuries were reported, but the immediate area was evacuated and cordoned off, with a shelter-in-place order expanded to a four-block radius around 150 California Street, which was later li...