Electrical emergency: what to do first and who to call

First: is anyone in danger right now?

Answer this before anything else.

Get out and call 911 if:

• You see flames or smoke
• A person has been shocked and is hurt, unconscious or not acting normally
• A wire is down, sparking or lying on a car, fence or in water
• The smell of burning is strong and you cannot find the source

Do not go back in to turn off power. Do not use water on an electrical fire. Do not touch a person who is still in contact with a live wire. Call 911 and, if you can reach it safely, shut off the power source.

Stay inside and stay away from the panel if a storm has knocked wires down outside and you do not know which are live. Treat every wire on the ground as live.

What counts as an electrical emergency

Situation	Treat as	First action
Fire, smoke, flames at an outlet or panel	911	Leave, call 911
Person shocked and hurt	911	Call 911, do not touch them if still in contact
Downed or sparking wires	911, then utility	Stay far back
Hot outlet or panel, burning smell, no flame	Call an electrician today	Breaker or main off
Main breaker will not stay on	Call an electrician today	Leave it off
Water in the panel or on outlets	Call an electrician today	Do not touch, shut off the main only if dry and safe
Partial power loss, one dead circuit	Next available electrician	Check GFCI and breaker
Flicker, mild tripping	Normal visit	See repair pages

Who to call

911 handles fire and injury. Tell the operator it is an electrical fire or electrical injury.

Your utility handles its own equipment: the lines, the pole, the transformer and the meter. In Southern California that may be Southern California Edison, SDG&E, LADWP or a city utility such as Pasadena or Riverside. The counties pages list which utility serves which area. Report downed wires and street-side outages to the utility.

An electrician handles everything after the meter. That includes the main panel, breakers, wiring, outlets, the service mast and meter socket on your house.

A damaged service mast or meter socket needs both. The utility has to disconnect power before an electrician can repair it, and often has to reconnect after an inspection. The meter and service mast page explains this.

What to do while you wait

Once you are safe and the power is off:

1. Leave the affected circuit off. Do not flip the breaker on to see if it works.
2. Unplug anything on that circuit if you can do it without touching damage.
3. Move people and pets away from the area.
4. Take photos. Show the outlet, the panel, scorch marks and any water. These help the electrician and may help with insurance.
5. Write down the timeline. When you noticed it, what was running, what you smelled or heard.
6. Protect food and medical devices. Medical equipment may need a backup plan. Do not run a generator inside or in a garage.

If a generator is your plan, connect it with a transfer switch or interlock, not by plugging it into a wall outlet. Backfeeding can kill utility workers. See backup power.

Storm, fire and PSPS situations

California wildfire weather brings planned power shutoffs and storm damage. After a planned shutoff, power can return with a surge. Turn off large appliances before restoration and turn them on one at a time. The guide to PSPS shutoffs covers how those events work.

After a nearby fire or flood, do not turn power back on at a home that was wet or smoke-damaged until an electrician has checked it. Water and heat damage wire insulation in ways that show up later.

What an emergency electrician does

The first visit is for safety. The electrician finds the hazard, shuts it off and makes the area safe. That may mean replacing a burned breaker or outlet, cutting out a damaged section of wire or isolating a circuit. They explain what is fixed and what still needs work. Permanent repairs, such as a new panel or a service replacement, are often scheduled after, because they need a permit and sometimes utility coordination.

Ask for the dispatch fee, hourly rate and any after-hours markup up front, and ask whether the repair will need a permit.

What it costs

As of October 2026, a typical SoCal range for an emergency job is about $350 to $1,200. That figure is a desk estimate, since few firms publish emergency rates. Fixr’s national guide says many electricians charge a premium outside regular hours, and some charge a higher hourly rate. Evening, weekend and holiday calls usually cost more than business hours. The emergency electrician cost page explains what drives the number. The same repair done next business day usually costs less, which is why a safe temporary shutoff is worth considering.

If the problem can wait, send a request through the quote form. For repair detail, see the electrical repair hub.