Fla. Manhunt Nets First Arson Suspect

May 14, 2008— -- Florida authorities this morning arrested a man they believe is behind at least one arson and who may be involved in a string of man-made fires that have destroyed more than 20 homes in the state and damaged an estimated 120 more.

Brian Crowder, 31, was arrested after a one-hour pursuit that involved 60 members of Florida law enforcement, helicopters and K-9 units, said Bill Berger, police chief in Palm Bay, Fla., at a morning news conference.

Authorities believe Crowder threw a bottle containing an accelerant from a car window into the woods early Wednesday, Berger said.

Crowder was transported to a hospital for treatment of a bite from a police dog that was part of the tracking team. For now, Crowder is being held on at least six drug-related probation violations for fleeing police when he was approached this morning. Though Crowder has not yet been charged with setting any fires, Berger said authorities believe he is responsible for at least one arson attempt, if not a player in the series of local wildfires targeting the central Florida town.

A search warrant was being obtained through a Florida judge to gain access to Crowder's home, where police will search for items such as accelerants that may have been used in the fires.

Already stretched thin on a fourth day of fighting the wildfires, authorities responded to a call about an arson attempt at 4:18 a.m. at a Palm Bay home, where they found a vessel containing what they believe is some type of accelerant that a witness said may have been thrown from a dark-colored car.

Minor damages were sustained in the small fire, which authorities immediately concluded was man-made.

They began searching that area, sending out a reverse 911 notification to local residents that alerted them to be on the lookout for a tall, thin man with sandy blond hair wearing jeans and a shirt who was seen in the area sometime after the arson call was placed.

Around 7:30 a.m., authorities near the early morning arson call approached a man in a car who fit that description, now identified as Crowder, who was driving a dark-colored Ford Tempo. "That person jumped out of the vehicle and bailed out from the officer," Berger said.

Police connected the vehicle to Crowder and went to the suspect's most recent address. Crowder was there, but attempted to take off on foot a second time, fleeing into a wooded area where the search began .

While Berger said that Crowder may be responsible for more than one of the recent fires, he also cautioned against simply assuming that he was.

"In arsons, many times it's not one person," he said. "People are fascinated by fires, and they might want to go out and start their own."

Yvonne Martinez, the public information coordinator for Palm Bay, told ABC News that Crowder's criminal history included charges like "burglary, petty theft, robbery and rugs."

"It remains an active investigation," she said. "We're looking at him as the strong candidate for the arson that took place this morning."

Prior to this morning's arrest, police described the suspect or suspects as likely "trophy" hunters who would brag about their crimes sooner or later.

An area roughly the size of 15 square miles has already been burned by the wildfires, though authorities believe they now are successfully containing the blazes. The fires have caused an estimated $9.6 million in damages.

Florida Gov. Charlie Christ declared a state of emergency for the area earlier this week.

As firefighters battled the blazes yesterday, the state's forestry experts pointed to year-round vegetation growth -- including specific types of endemic waxy plants -- and compact property development as two factors that make the state particularly prone to fire damage.