PALM BAY, Fla. -- A 31-year-old man may be connected with all the pain, heat and heartache caused by the worst wildfires in Central Florida in 10 years. Police said Wednesday they caught an arsonist.

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A resident alerted police after seeing 31-year-old Brian Crowder allegedly throw an object from his car that sparked a small fire in the woods, Palm Bay Detective Ernie Diebel said. The object was a glass bottle containing an accelerant, Palm Bay Police Chief Bill Berger said. The subsequent fire was put out quickly, according to Palm Bay officials.

"It was a definite arson," Palm Bay Police Chief Bill Berger said during a Wednesday morning press conference. "Within moments of that, units [responded]."

Berger said that officers patrolling spotted a suspicious vehicle in the area and then saw the driver bail out.

"Brian Crowder was observed by one of our officers in a dark vehicle. That person jumped out of the vehicle, bailed out from the officer. This vehicle was tracked to this particular individual that I mentioned to you," Chief Berger said Wednesday. "Subsequently, we went to a residence that was his last known to be at. He attempted to elude the police. He ran into the wooded area and after about an hour-and-a-half search of the area, we now have Mr. Crowder in custody."

Berger added that Crowder had buried himself in leaves and branches to escape police.

Crowder was questioned Wednesday afternoon and evening by police. Berger said Crowder was giving information about the morning fire but had denied settting any others.

"We'll sit and listen as long as he wants to talk," said Berger.

Palm Bay resident Matt Sumako helped police catch Crowder.

"He was trying to light a fire. I said, 'Hey, SOB!' The next thing I know, he went off running and I took off after him through my gate and up through the woods. I ended up tripping over some two by fours and did a face plant," he said.

Sumako couldn't keep up and watched Crowder run away.

"I told him, 'I am going to hurt you if I catch you," he said.

Fifteen minutes later, Sandra Lewis saw him hiding in the palmettos in front of her house on Brickell Street.

"He looked very suspicious. As soon as he saw the helicopters, he went back into the woods and I called 911," she said.

Lewis said an officer showed up in two minutes with several dogs.

"He pulled a gas can out of the trunk of his car and had the dog sniff it and that's when the dogs ran in and found him right away," she said.

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RAW INTERVIEW: Witness Describes Seeing Arrest Of Arson Suspect
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Investigators said Crowder, 31, was found in the woods in the area near 595 Breakwater Street (see map). He has a criminal history dating back to 1996. He's been previously arrested for such things as armed burglary and grand theft, but has no history of arson. In 1998, Crowder was charged with attempted murder, but it was dropped because of conflicting witness statements.

"We've got various violations of probation, warrants that were issued for him. He has a known drug past," Berger said.

The chief, though, was hesitant to say Crowder was responsible for any arson.

"I'm not saying that he's the individual that created this arson. However, based of the coincidence of him being this close, and him being connected to that vehicle that one of our officers spotted at 4:18 in the morning, I can tell you that he has been arrested [for violations of probation]," Berger said.

Berger said officers were able to locate a flammable substance, possibly similar to what officers said was observed by witnesses being thrown to start the fire.

"It was a glass bottle with some type of accelerant inside that we've recovered," Berger said.

The search for an arson suspect was top priority for Palm Bay law enforcement.

"We had probably 60 officers involved in this search for this individual, along with our helicopter unit. K-9 is used. That's a normal protocol," Berger said.

A reverse 911 call was sent to the residents within the area describing the suspect as a white male with sandy blonde hair, a thin build and approximately 6 feet tall, wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt.

"And I have to thank the neighbors. They were giving us moment by moment, 'An individual just ran past my backyard…' We were able to condense about a mile perimeter down to a very small area and subsequently K-9. He suffered very minor injuries. He's being treated at a local hospital and hopefully we'll be able to speak with him after that," Berger said.

One of the earliest descriptions of the possible suspect is similar to Crowder's: a tall, thin white male driving a dark colored car. Investigators are still urging the public to call 1-800-423-TIPS or 911 with any information about other potential arson suspects.