Palm Bay, Fla. ? A man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail into the woods as firefighters battled large blazes nearby set several other small fires to throw off officers who were pursuing him, police said Thursday.

Each of the fires that Brian Crowder, 31, is accused of setting Wednesday was quickly extinguished, Police Chief Bill Berger said, and investigators have not connected Crowder to larger fires that destroyed about 30 homes and 140 structures.

But Berger called Crowder “a prime suspect” in a string of fires intentionally set around the city Sunday.

Firefighters continued to make gains against the flames Thursday, allowing some schools to reopen and some area residents to return.

Investigators recommended Crowder be charged with three counts of intentionally setting fire to public land – each count carrying up to three years in prison.

Crowder told reporters watching as police led him to a transport van that he may have accidentally sparked a fire, and ran because he was driving without a license.

“I believe that I accidentally may have – may have – started by tossing a cigarette out the door,” said Crowder.

Kepler Funk, who represented Crowder at a short bond hearing, said he fears the public has rushed to judgment against his client. He said police were still looking for other suspects, and Crowder hadn’t been accused of the destructive fires.

Berger said investigators on Thursday began interviewing everyone in Brevard County with a history of arson arrests.

Todd Schroeder, spokesman for the state’s Division of Forestry, estimated the fires were 60 percent contained, up from 40 percent contained on Wednesday. Winds had died down and humidity was up above 90 percent.