Tampa firefighters are investigating two fires that damaged the Majid Omar mosque at 4801 E. Busch Blvd. this week.
Crews arrived at the mosque Friday to find smoke filling the building, according to Tampa Fire Rescue. The smoke looked as if it were coming from a small refrigerator in the middle of the building.
Firefighters said the refrigerator was plugged into an extension cord not rated to handle the power load the refrigerator needed. The fire quickly brought under control.
Firefighters are also investigating an incident that occurred Thursday night while people were praying there. The air conditioner caught fire, but it was put out by the time crews arrived.
No injuries were reported in either incident.
Tampa Fire Rescue described the damage to the mosque as minor.
Tampa PD says they also responded to the mosque on Thursday night for a reported A/C unit fire. There were people in the mosque praying at the time when they smelled something burning. The fire was out by the time police got there. The small fire caused minimal damage and is considered accidental, according to police.
In July, the Islamic Education Center in Tampa caught fire twice. Electricity was blamed in the first fire, which occurred July 17. The second fire occurred later after the power had been cut.
Another mosque, the Madinatul Ilm, caught fire in July. That was fire was determined to be accidental.
