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Fires Set In Long Island Church Under Construction

LEVITTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Fires were set in the early morning hours at an Orthodox Catholic church under construction on Long Island.

Authorities say cardboard boxes and wood crates in four separate places were ignited before dawn Sunday at the St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Catholic Church in Levittown.

It took four fire trucks and 20 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, which detectives say was intentionally set.

An arson bomb squad is investigating the incident, but Nassau County police say there is no evidence of a bias crime.

The church, located at 100 Schoolhouse Rd., is under construction, with only the shell and concrete work completed.

Nassau County police ask that anyone with information on the crime call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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