San Francisco heat wave preparedness

City officials warned in late July that San Francisco’s infrastructure and public‑health systems were ill‑equipped for increasingly frequent extreme heat events, citing gaps in cooling centers, housing conditions, and emergency response plans. The warning highlighted the city’s vulnerability despite its “Fog City” reputation.

A week later, Pacific Gas & Electric outlined its operational response to the same heat wave, preparing crews and equipment for projected temperatures above 100 °F across inland California. PG&E’s actions included pre‑positioning resources, maintaining fire‑suppression technology, and urging customers to stay informed about possible outages. The utility’s involvement was underscored by two fire incidents in San Francisco—an underground vault fire and a house fire—both quickly contained with assistance from fire services and the Red Cross. Together, the snapshots trace a shift from municipal concern about preparedness to utility‑level mitigation and on‑ground incident response during the heat wave.