firefighters
An explosion reported at UH Manoa, Hawaii, with smoke visible for miles. In this photo, firefighters keep watch while fire and smoke burns beside a housing estate, as the Thomas wildfire continues to burn in Ojai, California, Dec. 9, 2017. Getty Images / Mark Ralston

The Honolulu Fire Department in Hawaii is battling a fire near the University of Hawaii at Manoa's lower campus which sent a large cloud of smoke over the H-1 freeway visible for miles Thursday evening.

Reports stated the fire broke out at a transformer at a Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) facility, on the makai side of Les Murakami Stadium near Koali Road at 6:47 p.m. local time (12:47 a.m. EDT). Hawaii Police have closed off all the roads in the area.

According to a report in Hawaii-based daily Honolulu Star-Advertiser, several witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion just before the fire. There was a power outage at the university's lower campus, which has left more than 3,300 HECO customers without power.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined and no injuries have been reported as yet.

This is a developing story.