Mysterious Rotten Egg Smell Strikes SF OvernightPhoto: David Yu/Flickr
Rose Garrett
Published on December 28, 2016

Did you smell it?

Early this morning, dozens of concerned citizens began reporting a strange smell in the air around the city: a sulfuric, rotten egg stench that prompted PG&E and the San Francisco Fire Department to begin fielding calls around 2am.

The Chronicle reports that PG&E crews investigated 54 overnight reports of a rotten egg smell around the city, but found no gas leaks or anything to indicate that the smell arose from PG&E facilities.

SFFD spokesman Jonathan Baxter told the Chron that most of the calls came in from neighborhoods near the water, such as Bayview, the Marina, and the outer Sunset and Richmond, as well as from SoMa.

By 7am this morning, the odor seemed to have dissipated. City agencies are still working to figure out what may have caused it, though Baxter stated that the incident poses no threat to public health or safety.

It comes just weeks after another olfactory surprise was noted by residents around the city, and traced to unexpected algae growth in a reservoir, which lent a musty taste and smell to local tap water.