A transformer reportedly caught fire early Tuesday near the Hong Kong Buffet adjacent to Fordham Boulevard causing “a widespread power outage,” according to Chapel Hill Police.

The power outage came amid storms that are expected to continue through the next 48 hours.

Authorities said just before 1:50 a.m. Tuesday that Duke Energy crews were on scene working to make repairs to damage sustained by the power pole and lines.

Stoplights were out in the area until approximately 5:15 a.m., according to police.

The outage affected most businesses in the area around the reported transformer fire, including University Place mall on Estes Drive.

Duke Energy is reporting as of 6 a.m. that 27 outages remain in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village. There are two other outages, as of this posting, affecting one customer each, according to Duke Energy.