WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – A 12-year-old student apparently attempting to burn his school books set off a brush fire that led to at least a half-dozen homes being evacuated in a West Melbourne neighborhood, police said.
The boy called 911 and told Melbourne dispatchers about the fire around 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from the Melbourne Police Department.
The blaze was burning in the 3000 block of Snicole Avenue, near Dairy Road, police said.
Several lots were on fire as Brevard County Fire Rescue crews converged on the heavily wooded area to contain the fast-moving flames, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
"There was a fire behind my house and we saw a lot of flames," Manchester Lakes resident Stephen Snyder told News 6.
The fire was quickly encroaching on homes in Snyder's neighborhood, fire officials said. Snyder's house and several others were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The fire was contained by late Monday.
Snyder said the fire put a hole in his backyard fence and caused up to $5,000 in damages to solar panels on his roof.
Sgt. Brian Hart, of the Melbourne Police Department, said the boy told 911 that he set fire to the school books and planned to post the incident to YouTube. But then the situation got out of hand.
"I thought it would be a good idea for a video, to burn them," the boy told the 911 operator. "But then the fire got out of hand."
The child said he considered running home and getting water. He said he started the fire alone and his parents were at work.
"I tried to stop it but I couldn't. It just kept going," the boy said.
"That's why we don't play with fire, because you can't always control it," the 911 operator replied.
The boy faces the following charges: intentional burning of lands and criminal mischief, which are both third-degree felonies. Based on the child’s age, a juvenile referral has been completed and sent to the state attorney’s office.
Firefighters from Brevard County, Palm Bay and Melbourne worked to contain the blaze. Winds picked up throughout the afternoon.
An investigation is ongoing.