PALM BAY, Fla. -- A 911 call from a woman and her son initiated a police manhunt Wednesday that led to the capture of a "person of interest" in a series of home-destroying wildfires.

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LISTEN: 911 Call
IMAGES: Crowder Taken Into Custody
RELATED: Crowder Guarded After Bounty Offered
IMAGES: Wanted: Dead Or Alive

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The woman made the 911 call at 4:18 a.m.

"On the Internet and my 19-year-old son was getting ready to take the trash out," a caller told a 911 dispatcher. "He says he saw a black car go down our street or something and throw something in the woods, catching the woods on fire by our house."

"Your son saw this?" a 911 dispatcher said.

"I see it. I see it. You see orange right her in the middle. We're on Alvarado Avenue," the woman said.

After the call, Good Samaritan Matt Samaco also spotted the man police identified as Brian Crowder, 31, starting a fire near his property.

"I saw (the man) and he was squatted down by the sign and he had a long wire and was trying to light a fire," Samaco said. "That's when I said, 'Hey, S.O.B.' He then got up and hauled butt. I kicked my gate open and chased him up through his woods."

Police with K-9s eventually captured Crowder near Southwest Middle School, located at 451 Eldron Blvd. S.E.

Crowder was taken into custody by police but was transported to Palm Bay Community Hospital with bite wounds from a K-9.

Crowder was arrested for six violations of probation warrants. Officers said they were investigating any links to at least 11 other suspected arsons this week.

Police said more than 60 officers and a helicopter were involved in Wednesday's search.

Crowder Has Prior Arrests

Berger said Crowder has several violations of probation in his background. Berger said Crowder's criminal history consists primarily of drug-related violations.

Crowder's vehicle was seized and police plan to execute a warrant to search the vehicle.

Asked if Palm Bay police have caught their arsonist, police Chief Bill Berger said, "I hope so, but I don't know. This may have just been a coincidence. The hard part is putting all of this together."

911 Calls Released During Fires

Hundreds of panicked callers flooded 911 dispatchers as 30-foot walls of flames swept through Palm Bay neighborhoods, destroying dozens of homes.

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LISTEN: 911 Calls From Fires Released

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"The fire is breaking through on Cogan from Westbury to the end of Westbury and Cogan," a screaming caller said. "It is just getting ready to take down a house."

Dispatchers in Palm Bay received a stream of calls from homeowners fleeing the firestorm.

"(The fire) is spreading across the street. Oh my God. Mom, move your car. Move your car," a woman screamed to dispatchers.

Many of the calls came from the Bayside Lakes subdivision and surrounding neighborhoods.

"We have a fire on Gasper Street," a man told a 911 operator.

"What's on fire, sir?" the dispatcher said.

"The grass next to the road and it's catching fast," the caller said.

Fire crews hustled to keep up with the calls as hot spots ignited and destroyed dozens of homes.

"There are homes all around," a caller said. "You need to get here quick, please."

Damage Estimated At $10M

The fires reported in Brevard County have burned roughly 10,000 acres, or more than 15 square miles. Officials on Wednesday said containment efforts are improving around the blazes.

The Florida Division of Forestry said 22 homes in the Palm Bay area were destroyed and about 120 other structures, including homes and outbuildings, were damaged.

Officials said the total damage estimate was about $9.6 million.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.