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Fire at Tampa Mosque Was Arson, Officials Say

Fire | Blaze | Firefighter

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward for information leading to the identification and arrests of the unknown suspects.

TAMPA – A fire earlier this month at the Masjid Omar mosque was caused by arson, Tampa fire investigators said.

Investigators reached that conclusion after tests came back positive for the presence of gasoline, according to Tampa Fire Rescue. Investigators initially believed the Aug. 5 fire at the Masjid Omar
mosque, 4801 E Busch Blvd., was caused by a faulty electrical cord from a small refrigerator. However, mosque officials told investigators that they believe someone had poured gasoline the night before on the air conditioner unit attached to the building. Evidence was inconclusive but investigators took samples after the fire happened.

There were no injuries from the fire. There was an estimated $25,000 worth of damage to the building.

Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the unknown suspect(s) involved in these cases. Anyone with any information regarding the identity of the suspect(s) and who wants to be eligible for a cash reward is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online at crimestopperstb.com or send a mobile tip using the P3 Tips Mobile application. Crime Stoppers must be contacted first in order to be eligible for a cash reward.

For information about Tampa Fire Rescue, go to tampagov.net.

Tampa Fire Rescue | Arson | Crime | Mosque Fire | Tampa Bay Reporter

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