Fire causes major damage at mosque and school in Prior Lake
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A mosque in Prior Lake was severely damaged in a fire early Monday morning.
As state and federal officials investigate the cause, Twin Cities Muslim leaders are declining to speculate whether the fire was an accident or set intentionally.
A neighbor reported the fire at the Masjid Hamza Al-Mahmood Foundation just before 2:30 a.m., according to a news release from the Prior Lake Fire Department. The building — located just off of State Highway 13 — also houses a school, Baitul Hikmah Academy.
Fire crews found flames coming through the roof and began working to put out the fire, according to the department. Some crews started working from inside the building but were pushed out by the extent of the fire. Part of the large gable roof collapsed.
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No one was inside the mosque at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries among the first responders. In addition to Prior Lake, six other departments sent crews.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Because it involves a place of worship, the state fire marshal and federal officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
At a news conference Monday, Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein said he’s waiting for more answers from the investigation before drawing any conclusions.
“At this moment right now, this mosque, they have not faced any particular threats or anything of that nature, so we’re going to hold off until we let law enforcement tell us,” Hussein said. “It may take some time, so we need the patience of the community.”
Hamza Al-Mahmood is also home to an Islamic school. Its 200 students attended classes via distance learning on Monday.
