Fire at Florida mosque looks like arson, investigators say
Investigators say samples taken from a fire at a Tampa, Fla., mosque this month tested positive for gasoline, leading them to believe it was the result of arson.
Tampa Fire Rescue said in a statement Saturday that the Aug. 5 fire at the Masjid Omar mosque appears now to have been intentionally set.
Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay is offering a reward of up to $3,000.
Investigators initially believed the cause of the fire was a faulty electrical cord on a small refrigerator.
Mosque officials believed someone had poured gasoline on an outside air-conditioning unit, but investigators say the evidence was inconclusive at the time.
Investigators took samples from the fire for evaluation.
Damage to the building and its contents were estimated to be $25,000. There were no injuries.
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