Arsonists Sought In Florida Fires

Hundreds Evacuated, Many Homes Damaged, Gov. Declares State Of Emergency

(CBS/AP)  Investigators searched Tuesday for one or more arsonists behind a string of stubborn wildfires that have destroyed or damaged more than 160 homes on Florida's Atlantic coast.

CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann toured the fire zone with Gov. Charlie Christ. The smoke was so thick, they couldn't even see what was burning.

"It's unconscionable that somebody would do this to another man and woman, and put them in jeopardy in this way," Gov. Crist.

Firefighters in Brevard County were trying for the third day to contain fires that have scorched about 3,800 acres, or 6 square miles, in Palm Bay and neighboring Malabar.

Though the high winds fueling the flames Monday had slowed significantly, officials worried about the flames spreading quickly in the dry conditions.

"We desperately need rain," said Palm Bay Fire Marshal Mike Couture. "We don't have any, and we're not projected to get any anytime soon."

All 18 schools in Palm Bay were closed Tuesday. Smoke and the proximity of the flames have caused the intermittent closure of major highways in the area, including a 34-mile section of Interstate 95 south of the fires that was closed again midmorning Tuesday.

"Flames are coming onto the interstate," Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Kim Miller said.

The worst fires raged uncontrolled in Malabar, while officials said they had "a majority" of the Palm Bay fires contained.

Palm Bay police were working with the state fire marshal's office and Brevard County Fire Rescue to investigate who set an estimated nine fires that spread into a larger, uncontrollable blaze.

"Some are caused by embers that are flying, but the locations of the fires indicated that these were initiated separately, which makes us firmly believe that an individual or individuals was involved in setting those," Police Chief Bill Berger said.

Lee Feldman, city manager of Palm Bay, estimated 162 houses in his community were severely damaged or destroyed, causing an estimated $4.2 million in damage.

Neighborhoods built into dense woods were surrounded by ashes, twisted limbs and charred tree trunks where the fires raged through. Many homes, however, were saved.

Angel Pagan, a 35-year-old salesman, watched Tuesday as firefighters hosed down the smoldering woods surrounding his home. A night earlier, he neighbors used garden hoses and buckets of water to douse the flames. Pagan sent his wife and their young sons, ages 1 year old and 1 month old, to stay with a relative.

"I cannot believe it - my house was surrounded, and my house did not go up," Pagan said. "It's pure luck, and God."

Across the street, a stucco home was charred and crumbling. On it was duct-taped a bright red note from the building inspector: Totaled.

"We saved a lot of them. The fire department got here and their house was already on fire," Pagan said, gesturing across the street.

A few miles away, Barry Self, an off-duty Palm Bay police officer, was shoveling dirt over still-smoldering patches of woods across the street from his home. He and two neighbors also used garden hoses late into the night to ward off the fire as it skipped across their yards. Self lost his backyard fence and was without electricity Tuesday afternoon, but he said he considers himself fortunate.

"It looks like a little war zone," Self said of the area. "And we're lucky compared to a lot of people. I'm very lucky. I drove around this morning and saw a bunch of houses just totaled to the ground. It's unbelievable, it really is."

Gov. Charlie Crist was expected later Tuesday to tour the area where he has declared a state of emergency. Federal officials Tuesday authorized funding to reimburse the state's firefighting costs in Breva

[fush2]

well who ever started this is going to get their behind in big trouble. starting a fire making people lose their homes and killing animals well god sees that so its ok he''ll take care of this or these people

[j_flood]

amazing amount of politico-babble amongst non-political stories.

my brother''s son-in-law in in Palm Bay guarding his house and out building with a hose. pray for ''em all...

[usbrit-2009]

Father, Husband, Christian, and resident of Palm Bay, Fl.

Posted by texanwill

Having been through fires in So Cal in the past I empathize. Hopefully you will all return home safely to find this post.

[texanwill]

(tootall continued from below)

You should stop talking so much, pick up a hose, and help those of us that are trapped here in the middle of this burning hell on earth. You would have a different perspective on the matter if you had to stop everything you were doing to pick your baby up from daycare because of evacuation for a wildfire less than a mile from them, or if you had to stay up all hours trying to soak your house down with a hose while watching flames rapidly approach your home. If that didn''t do it, then the ashes falling all around you like snow and onto your baby%u2019s face as you tried to put them in the car would. I pray for you in the hope that God can reach your heart and fill it with some compassion. While I am doing that, I ask that you turn your insults into prayers. Prayers for my wife & my two month old child, who like hundreds of others, have left their home to evacuate and leave everything behind in the hopes that we will be able to come back to it. Pray for those who have already lost everything. And please pray for those of us who are putting themselves between the flames in attempts to put an end to the devastation we are seeing.

Father, Husband, Christian, and resident of Palm Bay, Fl.

[texanwill]

tootall, If you knew anything or did any research into this atrocity, you would know that Palm Bay is a town of middle and lower class income families that struggle to live paycheck to paycheck and certainly don''t live in "million dollar homes". As far as building homes in front of harms way, how can a person ever anticipate some psychopath starting fires all over their town that will later endanger their families? It offends me that you actually make such unsympathetic comments in a time of emergency such as the one we are experiencing right now. (to be continued, too many characters)

[natasha1178]

You''re all missing the point.

Some careless jerk(s) purposely started a fire, hoping to harm something or someone. Then it happens: people and their homes are left in ruins and you have the nerve and jealousy to say that they deserved it because they were wealthy and liked the climate?

With that logic in mind why don''t we burn the entire coastline? Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, New York. And we should set fire to every home of everyone who makes a nickel more than you do? That''s heartless.

[jack3213]

Hey- truthyness I agree with you- but what does your accurate account of politics have to do with this article about fires in FL?

[truthyness]

I also come from a long line of Democrats but I have to face the fact that the Democratic Party isn''t what it used to be.

Two things have become evident to me even though they don''t
make any sense at all.

The first one is that the Democratic Party Leadership
knows damm well that if Obama where to actually make
it past the Republicans and get in the White House, the results will be disastrous.

The second one is that the Democratic leadership
is throwing this election.

I know it''''s hard to believe. I know it doesnt make any sense. But it''s happening everyday right in front of us, and I can''t go on telling myself that it isn''t.