PALM BAY, Fla. -- A 31-year-old who is now being considered a suspect in a series of home-destroying wildfires said he may have accidentally sparked a fire Wednesday but denies setting others.

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IMAGES: Wanted Poster | Crowder Arrested
RELATED: 'Wildfire' Mobs Concern Police

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Brian Crowder was arrested after allegedly starting a brush fire Wednesday morning.

"I believe I accidentally may have, may have started (it) by tossing a cigarette out the door," Crowder said.

Crowder will be charged with one count of unlawful burning of land for a brush fire that was started Wednesday and will be charged with another count of unlawful burning of land after he allegedly tried to light fires while fleeing police during a chase.

"He said while police were chasing him on foot, he attempted to start a couple of small fires as a diversion tactic to make his escape," Palm Bay police Det. Earnest Diebel said.

Local 6's Jessica D'Onofrio asked Crowder why he was running from police.

"I have probation, I have no driver's license and I was driving," Crowder said.

Crowder Offers Information

Crowder provided key information to investigators during questioning Wednesday night but denied knowledge of at least 12 suspicious fires set earlier this week.

"He is talking to us and we continue to believe he will be providing key information in regards to this investigation," Palm Bay Police Chief Bill Berger said.

"Why are you so confident he'll provide key information?" a reporter asked Berger.

"He is talking and is cooperative," Berger said. "He has provided information that puts him (at Wednesday's fire) and has provided information that is key to the investigation."

Officers took Crowder, 31, into custody Wednesday after he tried to elude officers by hiding in a pile of leaves, Berger said.

Crowder was questioned about as many as 12 suspicious fires in Palm Bay.

"We have addressed the other fires from the previous days and I can tell you he has denied any knowledge of those," Berger said. "He is going to jail. I just can't give you the specific charges. In fact, arson will be one of them."

Berger said some 200 leads have been called into police concerning the wildfires and detectives are still active.

"If he is not the guy, then my feelings are if there is another guy who created these fires, he is pretty upset now. He's probably (thinking), why should this guy get all that credit."

Mom's Call Leads To Arrest

Meanwhile, a woman and her son are being credited with initiating the police manhunt that led to Crowder's capture.

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

"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 here in the middle. We're on Alvarado Avenue," the woman said.

After the call, Good Samaritan Matt Samaco said he also spotted the man police identified as Crowder 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 on six violation 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.