Police are investigating a suspected case of arson that targeted a Buddhist temple.
The flames erupted around 1:30am Friday at the Mahavihara Buddhist Meditation Centre at 4698 Kingston Rd., near Morningside and Lawrence. Officers from 43 Division said they found canisters of an accelerant and a back pack at the scene.
"There are numerous plastic bottles filled with liquid that I believe is gasoline," described Ontario Fire Marshal Jim Gillespie.
The canine unit was brought in to search a nearby ravine for more clues and the Fire Marshal will also survey the scene.
Damage was pegged at $10,000 but it could have been much worse: A TTC driver noticed the flames around 2am and immediately dialed 911.
This is the second time this temple for Sinhalese meditation has been hit. It was firebombed six months ago, during the conflict between the Sinhalese and the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
One man outside the temple said that he fled another country for Canada's safety and freedom.
"If something like this can happen here, it's not good," he said.