Police suspect arson after fire at a Scarborough Buddhist Meditation Centre

Just before 2:00AM Friday morning emergency crews were called to the Maha Vihara Buddhist Meditation Centre at 4698 Kingston Rd.

Fire crews arrived to find an outside porch engulfed in flames. Firefighters made quick work of the situation and managed to limit the damage to about $20,000, in a situation that they say could have been much more disastrous .

Toronto Police say the fire was likely started by an arsonist. They believe the crime is hate-related, as bottles that may have contained some sort of accelerant were found at the crime scene.

The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office has been called in to investigate.

This is the second occurrence of arson or what's suspected to be arson in six months.

In May of this year, an overnight fire inside the Buddhist temple was the act of an arsonist, thought to be related to the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka and the Tamil protests in Toronto.

Of note, for the three days ending November 27th Tamil Eelam's National Heroes Days are celebrated.

It's said that November 27th marks the anniversary of the day the first LTTE fighter gave his life for the freedom of the Tamil Eelam nation.

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