"We eliminated other causes of the fire, and we do have evidence that it was arson," Carla Pusateri of Corvallis’ Fire Department said.
A mosque in the western US State of Oregon was torched on Sunday, investigators have said.
One room in the Corvallis Mosque was gutted in the blaze on Sunday while neighboring rooms suffered smoke damage, according to the town's fire department.
Officials said there were no injuries in the blaze, which was extinguished within 10 minutes.
"We eliminated other causes of the fire, and we do have evidence that it was arson," Carla Pusateri of Corvallis' Fire Department said on Sunday.
Officials said the fire started shortly after 0200 local time (1000 GMT) and was put out about 10 minutes later.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered up to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction in the arson case, saying it would not tolerate attacks on the Muslim community.
"This is a big, dangerous mess," Imam Mikal Shabazz, president of the Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization and a prominent Muslim activist in Portland, said on Sunday as he learned of the mosque fire.
Sam Adams, Portland's mayor, said late on Sunday that he had increased security at city mosques,
The incident occurred less than two days after Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who had attended prayers in the mosque, was arrested while attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland.
Mohamud was due to appear in court on Monday, facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
One room in the Corvallis Mosque was gutted in the blaze on Sunday while neighboring rooms suffered smoke damage, according to the town's fire department.
Officials said there were no injuries in the blaze, which was extinguished within 10 minutes.
"We eliminated other causes of the fire, and we do have evidence that it was arson," Carla Pusateri of Corvallis' Fire Department said on Sunday.
Officials said the fire started shortly after 0200 local time (1000 GMT) and was put out about 10 minutes later.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered up to $10,000 for information leading to a conviction in the arson case, saying it would not tolerate attacks on the Muslim community.
"This is a big, dangerous mess," Imam Mikal Shabazz, president of the Oregon Islamic Chaplains Organization and a prominent Muslim activist in Portland, said on Sunday as he learned of the mosque fire.
Sam Adams, Portland's mayor, said late on Sunday that he had increased security at city mosques,
The incident occurred less than two days after Mohamed Osman Mohamud, who had attended prayers in the mosque, was arrested while attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a crowded Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland.
Mohamud was due to appear in court on Monday, facing a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of the charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
