A young Dothan boy is in a Birmingham hospital with severe burns after police said his older sister set him on fire.

Dothan police were dispatched Friday night to Southeast Alabama Region Medical Center, said Investigator James Harvey. When they arrived at the hospital, they found a 10-year-old boy with serious burns to his back and arms.

Because of the severity of his injuries, he was later transferred to UAB Hospital's Trauma and Burn Intensive Care Unit.

Detectives launched their investigation and determined the victim's 12-year-old sister had doused her brother's back with hair spritz and then used a lighter to ignite the fire. Harvey said there was another person at home with the siblings when it happened, but he couldn't elaborate.

He also said he could not yet disclose a possible motive in the attack.

Police charged the 12-year-old girl with first-degree assault. Because of her age, she was released into her parents' custody. The Alabama Department of Human Resources has enacted a mandatory safety plan that the family must follow, Harvey said. The case against the girl will be handled by the Houston County juvenile court system.

Harvey said while the boy's injuries are serious, he is expected to recover.