Several people in Downtown San Diego reported hearing a loud explosion that "sounded like a bomb" around 4:30pm on Saturday, followed by a plume of smoke and a power outage. The outage affected areas such as Downtown, Little Italy, Balboa Park, and Golden Hill, leaving residents without electricity for approximately two hours.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department also responded to a call about an electrical issue near the 700 block of Kettner Blvd. around the same time. While investigations are still ongoing, it is believed that the explosion may be linked to the outage.
SDG&E crews worked quickly to address the situation, with the restoration process beginning around 7 pm. Power was restored shortly after 8pm, according to SDG&E Communications Manager Anthony Wagner. Many businesses were forced to close during peak Saturday times.
The cause of the outage was initially listed as equipment repair, but further investigation pointed to the transformer explosion as the likely trigger for the disruption.
Originally published on October 19, 2024.
