A vehicle was found on fire in the parking lot of the Har El, the North Shore Centre for Jewish Life, on Sunday morning.
At approximately 6:24 a.m., the West Vancouver Police Department (WVPD) received a report of a vehicle on fire at the synagogue from the West Vancouver Fire & Rescue (WVFR).
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Around 7:30 a.m., WVPD reached out to Rabbi Phillip Gibbs at the synagogue and informed him that they had heard about the fire from the WVFR.
Rabbi Gibbs does not believe this was an intentionally set fire.
“A car had caught on fire and [the synagogue] was the first place they were able to stop coming off Highway 1,” explained Rabbi Gibbs. “It seems like they pulled into our parking lot, away from the building, noting their car was on fire.”
Rabbi Gibbs believes that this is just an accident and that no malicious intent was behind the car fire.
“Sometimes things are accidents and are coincidences,” said the Rabbi, “This is a tense time for the Jewish community. It means that whenever there is an incident… it is going to raise a sense of fear.”
No injuries have been reported, and the synagogue was not damaged.
“West Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services successfully contained the fire, and we can confidently say that the situation is stable and the community is safe”, said Sgt. Chris Bigland.
“While we will not speculate ahead of the evidence, our investigators will remain on scene until we are satisfied as to the true nature of this event. Our investigation will conclusively determine what has occurred and will provide answers to the Har El congregation and the broader community as soon as possible.”
While the investigation is ongoing, the vehicle fire appears non-suspicious.
“Evidence indicates the car caught fire while travelling eastbound on Highway 1, and the driver took the first opportunity to stop the vehicle off the roadway,” said a statement released by police.
Anyone with information, including dashcam footage, is asked to contact West Vancouver Police at 604-925-7300.
