$37M In Restitution For Eagle Creek Firestarter

HOOD RIVER, OR — For recklessly burning 49,000 acres of forest along the Columbia Gorge last fall, a 15-year-old boy from Vancouver, Washington, will pay nearly $37 million in restitution.

Hood River County Circuit Court Judge John A. Olsen on Monday announced a total restitution amount of $36,618,330.24 for the unidentified teen who dropped a lit firework into dry brush along the Eagle Creek trail near Cascade Locks, Oregon, on Sept. 2, igniting a wild fire that would fill the sky around the Portland metro region with ash and smoke for the next three months.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the restitution amount would cover the costs of firefighting and repairing the badly damaged hillside as well as numerous homes affected by the catastrophic blaze.

According to the Oregonian, the boy may not actually end up paying the full amount, so long as he adheres to the judgment and makes payments on a schedule, completes his probation, and stays out of trouble. If he can manage to uphold those agreements, the boy's payments could be halted after 10 years.

The boy has remained unnamed since he was first identified as a suspect by a witness who reportedly saw him "giggling" as he threw lit fireworks into the Eagle Creek canyon. Police interviewed the boy immediately after the fire began, but official charges were not levied until later.

The boy reportedly admitted to starting the devastating fire during a court hearing in February.

Image via Inciweb, via AP