A series of underground vault eruptions in downtown San Francisco prompted evacuations, an expanded shelter-in-place order and a power outage Thursday morning, fire officials said.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded just after 6 a.m. near California and Front streets after smoke was reported coming from several underground vaults. Earlier reports had described the incident as a vault fire.
SFFD said four vaults in the area have since experienced eruptions, all contained to the vaults themselves…