A 15-year-old boy who started a huge wildfire in the scenic Columbia River Gorge in the US state of Oregon has been ordered to pay $US37 million ($49 million) in restitution.
Judge John A. Olson wrote in his order that the sum of $US36,618,330.24 "is clearly proportionate to the offence because it does not exceed the financial damages caused by the youth," The Oregonian reported.
The amount covers the costs of firefighting, repair and restoration to the gorge, and damage to homes.
Judge Olson added that payments could be stopped after 10 years as long as the boy complies, finishes probation, and doesn't commit other crimes.
The restitution is solely the responsibility of the boy and not his parents, who came to the US from Ukraine.
This is a DigitalGlobe overview infra-red satellite image of the wildfire in and around Eagle Creek, Oregon. Source: DigitalGlobe
At a hearing last week, the boy's lawyer urged the judge to impose a “reasonable and rational” amount of restitution. The lawyer, Jack Morris, said ordering a boy who is indigent to pay $US37 million is “absurd.”
The boy from Vancouver, Washington, did not attend the hearing. He pleaded guilty in February to the reckless burning of public and private property and other charges.
Judge Olson sentenced him to community service and probation, and the boy had to write more than 150 letters of apology to those affected by the fire that burned through 194 square kilometres of land.
The boy said he threw one firework that exploded in the air along a trail and a second one that had a longer fuse and ignited brush when it hit the ground.
The flames spread quickly, forcing evacuations and the extended shutdown of a major interstate highway. The fire blackened the crown jewel of an outdoors-loving region for years to come.
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area attracts more than three million tourists a year and holds North America’s largest concentration of waterfalls. The fast-moving blaze ravaged popular hiking trails and marred stunning vistas.
Anger at the boy was so intense that authorities withheld his name to protect his safety. He’s listed in court papers as A.B.
“I get to look at torched Angel’s Rest every day. It will never be the same,” farmer Paul Smith said before last week's hearing, referring to a bluff. “You can’t financially quantify the damage he’s done.”
State law allows the Oregon Department of Revenue to garnishee the boy’s bank accounts or pay cheques. If he’s due refunds on his tax returns, the state could take those. If he wins the lottery, the state also could collect all of his winnings.
