Possible arsonist in Palm Bay? 10 fires burn in The Compound in 2 days
New brush fire burns in 'The Compound'
A new brush fire sparked Wednesday afternoon within "The Compound," a large amount of undeveloped land in Palm Bay. it comes a day after nine separate fires burned 160 acres within the same area. Officials now believe those fires were intentionally set and are working to launch an investigation.
PALM BAY, Fla. - The Compound – an undeveloped area in Palm Bay – is on fire for the second day in a row.
The fire on Wednesday afternoon comes after fire crews put out nine individual fires burning 130-acres at The Compound, Tuesday night.
A fire in Palm Bay's The Compound on April 29, 2026.
Wednesday's fire broke out around 2:30 p.m., April 29, near Atwell Street and Kentucky Drive, with officials reporting the fire is mostly under control as they monitor hot spots. The fire was dangerously close to power lines, FOX 35's Esther Bower reported.
As of 5 p.m., officials told FOX 35 around 40 acres burned in Wednesday's brush fire.
How did the fire start?
While the cause of Tuesday's fire is under investigation, Palm Bay Police say they believe the fires were set intentionally.
Palm Bay Police are looking for a suspect in Wednesday's fire, Bower said. Police are looking into potential suspects riding ATVs or dirt bikes could be responsible for the fires, Bower reported.
No suspects have been identified at this time.
See the photos: The Compound fire
Watch: ‘Everything I've owned is gone’
Police search for possible arson suspects after The Compound fires
Concern is growing after 10 fires affect The Compound in Palm Bay in two days. Fire crews quickly put out the fires, but officials are suspicious about how the fires started.
What's next:
Police conducted 40 patrols this month in the area spanning 2,000 acres in The Compound.
The fire department is working with Palm Bay Police to help identify and stop the alleged fire starters.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Palm Bay Fire Rescue.