PALM BAY, Fla. -- What started as nine small fires in Palm Bay last weekend turned into a devastating inferno that has consumed thousands of acres in south Brevard County and ruined some lives.
Picking Up The Pieces
As crews continue to gain the upper hand in the massive Palm Bay brush fires, families are now picking up the pieces, but said the journey to recovery is a tough one.
Gloria Patrick and Debra Ellet lost their home and belongings when a fire in a vacant lot jumped the road Monday, and consumed their house.
The women and their two children are staying in a hotel as they try to find a new place to live.
"The Red Cross just now told us that they will help pay for the first month's rent. I’m very capable. I work. I make a good living. I just need to get back on my feet," said Ellet.
The fire that destroyed the home has been deemed accidental.
Meanwhile, officials said they have been getting word that some other homes in the area may have been intentionally set on fire by homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure. None of that information has been confirmed.
By The Numbers
New numbers from the Division of Forestry came out Friday morning and they show that the massive fires burning in Palm Bay are becoming more under control.
The state said 70 percent of the 12,000 acres burning in Brevard County are contained.
The report also reveals that 285 people from several different agencies are still fighting the fires.
Thirty-three single-family homes and two mobile homes were destroyed, with an estimated value of $5.6 million. A total of 236 single-family homes were affected, with 11 suffering major damage.
The estimated cost of repairs is around $1 million.
Power Back On
Florida Power and Light said the electricity is back on in Palm Bay and Malabar.
Almost 12,000 homes lost power during the fires -- in many cases to protect firefighters. That left many in the dark. Other people have been using generators to keep the lights on.
Utility crews worked 16 hour days to restore power. FPL said that anyone who is still without power should call them.
Fires, Tempers Flare In Palm Bay
Police believe nine brush fires were intentionally set by someone. Many of those fires were put out, but three of them grew into fires that the Division of Forestry refer to as the Jupiter fire, the Madden fire, and the biggest one, the Lowery fire.
To give you an idea of the scope of these fires, the perimeter of the Lowery fire grew to 25 miles.
Gov. Charlie Crist took an aerial tour of the damage in southern Brevard County this week and praised the good work of firefighters and good Samaritans.
But the state's response to the crisis drew strong criticism from John Maziotti, the mayor of Palm Bay.
"I'm not so sure, when you say about the help and support of the state, I'm not so sure it was there. I thank all the other communities and cities for helping us, because they're the ones who did it," Maziotti said.
Arson Suspect Remains In Jail
Meanwhile, the man suspected of starting one of the wildfires was denied bond by a Brevard County judge Thursday.
Brian Crowder appeared before the judge wearing protective clothing, handcuffs and shackles.
The suspect, who was charged Wednesday with intentional and unlawful burning of lands, has been kept under suicide watch at the Brevard County Jail.
Crowder's attorneys initially sent him back to his cell, saying they were waiving their right to a first appearance, but when Judge David Silverman arrived, he ordered Crowder to come back and discuss his attorneys and bond possibilities.
The State Attorney's Office argued that Crowder was a "very serious threat to the community."
The judge, speaking via video-conferencing, agreed.
"I find that no amount of monetary bond would be sufficient to protect the community -- no bond on the VOPs, no bond on the new, substantive felony charges, leave the misdemeanors as scheduled," Silverman said.
Other Arson Suspects Considered
On Thursday, Palm Bay police said a possible second suspect in the area's arsons had been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Palm Bay Police Chief Bill Berger said that police did detain someone Wednesday night behind the Knights of Columbus where there was a fire. However, that person and his parents were questioned and it was determined that the person had been trying to put out a fire.
In addition, a Cocoa woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly trying to start a fire at her apartment complex.
Cocoa detectives said Margaret Kaderabek, 57, admitted to setting the small fires, stating "she was bored," and got the idea from watching stories about the brush fires on the news.
Kaderabek allegedly started a small fire behind the apartment building a little before 9 p.m. Wednesday. She told her husband about it, and called 911.
Kaderabek's husband put out the fire before the Cocoa Fire Department arrived.
According to the police report, a neighbor saw Kaderabek set three or four more small fires not long afterward -- at 3 a.m. Thursday.
Witnesses called Cocoa police, which led to her arrest.
"You know, just a very nice lady, and I was just kind of shocked that it was her that was starting the fires around here," said Cici Long, a neighbor of Kaderabek.
"We just want everyone to know, we're going to send a message out that this is not going to be acceptable at all," said Cocoa police Detective Matt Turner.
Kaderabek faced two counts of intentional burning of land.
Investigators said they did not believe Kaderabek had anything to do with the massive fires set over the weekend.
A $15,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to the successful arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for setting the fires.
If you have any information, you're asked to call CrimeLine at (800) 423-TIPS.
More than 200 tips have already been called in.
Fire Locations
To make it easy for you to find the latest information about fires in their areas, we have created individual pages for each area affected:
Additional Information
Information is power, so we have collected some information and links to help you keep up with the latest on the brush fires and how to get help:
If you have any pictures of these fires, please e-mail them to special@cfnews13.com. Please include the photographer's name and where they were taken.
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