Teen admits starting Eagle Creek fire, sentenced to 5 years of probation
February 17, 2018 by admin
Filed under Choosing Lingerie
UPDATE 10:23 a.m.: The teenager who started the Eagle Creek fire issued an apology Friday “to everyone in the gorge.” He admitted that he was guilty of 12 misdemeanors and received 1,920 hours of community service and five years of probation.
The boy, 15, who threw fireworks into Eagle Creek Canyon, also must write apology letters to people who suffered losses in the fire, including those forced to evacuate in cities lining the Columbia River Gorge.
He listened to about an hour of testimony from people affected by the fire that raged for weeks on the edge of metro Portland, including forest workers, volunteers, transportation officials and people who live in Cascade Locks.
He read this statement to in court:
“I want to express how sorry I am for what I did. I know a lot of people suffered because of a bad decision that I made. I’m sorry to the first responders who risked their lives to put out the fires, I am sorry to the hikers that were trapped, I am sorry to the people who worried about their safety and their homes that day, and for weeks afterwards. I am truly sorry about the loss of nature that occurred because of my careless action.
“Every day I think about this terrible decision and its awful consequences. Every time I hear people talk about the fire, I put myself down. I know I will have to live with my bad decision for the rest of my life, but I have learned from this experience and will work hard to help rebuild the community in any way that I can. I now realize how important it is to think before acting because my actions can have serious consequences. I, myself, love spending time in nature and now I realize how much work it takes to maintain the National Forest so people can enjoy it.
“I sincerely apologize to everyone who had to deal with this fire, I cannot imagine how scary it must have been for you. I know I have to earn your forgiveness and I will work hard to do so and one day, I hope I will. Thank you for giving me a chance to speak. This has been a big learning experience for me and I take it very seriously. I apologize with all my heart to everyone in the gorge.”
Judge John Olson told the teen that his community service is intended to help “develop the love and respect for nature that you lacked last September.”
A lawyer also read a statement from the boy’s parents: ‘We want everyone to know our son understands the seriousness of his actions. … He feels deep remorse.”
Prosecutors and defense attorneys said the teenager didn’t intentionally set the fire and was with a group of friends who were solely “observers.”
The teen admitted guilt to eight counts of reckless burning of public and private property, two counts of depositing burning materials on forest land, one count of second-degree criminal mischief and one count of reckless endangerment of others.
As a condition of his probation, he must not possess fireworks.
A separate hearing will be held in May to determine restitution required in the case. Firefighting and other costs approach $40 million — and are expected to rise as authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage and needed restoration work.
The courthouse scene was relatively low-key, with no visible protests as some had expected and a courtroom with some empty rows. The spectator gallery was split about evenly between media and members of the public.
UPDATE 9:35 a.m.: The teenager has admitted guilt. His lawyer said he threw one firecracker in the air and it exploded. He threw a second one with a longer fuse that exploded on the ground and sparked the fire.
The judge said he isn’t naming the teen, referring to him only by initials. His parents are in the courtroom with two interpreters. They emigrated from the Odessa region of Ukraine in 2000 and live in Vancouver. They sat right behind their son.
“I think he felt remorse, you could hear it in his voice …” – Carrie Schenk, whose mother’s home was burned in the fire. pic.twitter.com/U0GWnpBYdR
– Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) February 16, 2018
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HOOD RIVER — The Vancouver teenager accused of setting the Columbia River Gorge on fire last summer is expected Friday to admit guilt to reckless burning, reckless endangerment and other misdemeanors and face a sentence of five years on probation and nearly 2,000 hours of community service.
He’ll likely be ordered to complete the community service work for the U.S Forest Service, say sources familiar with the case.
The federal agency oversees the gorge national scenic area and is dedicated to restoring the 49,000-acre burn that began over the Labor Day holiday and forced evacuations of hundreds of people, changing the landscape of the spectacular expanse.
The teen, who hasn’t been identified by police, also is expected to be ordered to pay tens of millions of dollars in restitution when he appears at 9 a.m. before presiding Hood River County Circuit Judge John A. Olson at the county courthouse.
The boy, who was 15 when the fire started, is accused of up to a dozen counts, including depositing burning materials on forest lands, unlawful fireworks possession and criminal mischief.
Hood River District Attorney John T. Sewell is the prosecutor in the case. The teenager and his lawyer will have an opportunity to make a statement, as are any victims affected by the fire.
The fire began about 4 p.m. Sept. 2 after witnesses reporting seeing the teen throwing fireworks into the popular Eagle Creek Canyon. It trapped dozens of hikers on the trail and spread rapidly, fueled by gusting winds and tinder dry forest conditions.
“I saw this shorter kid lob this smoke bomb down into the canyon,” Liz FitzGerald, 48, of Portland told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “I was probably 4 feet away from him. I said, ‘Do you realize how dangerous this is? There’s a raging forest fire up the trail. This place is so dry.’”
FitzGerald described his group of friends giggling and taking a cellphone video of it that afternoon.
The wildfire prompted an extended shutdown of Interstate 84 and sent clouds of smoke billowing into Portland. Firefighters scrambled to save Multnomah Falls and other major landmarks.
Legal experts say the judge is obligated to order restitution for the full amount of the damage. In similar cases, courts have worked out payment plans, typically a tiny fraction of what is owed.
Oregon law states that parents also can be held liable for up to $7,500 per claimant for any intentional or reckless act of their children that has harmed people or property.
Attorneys contacted by The Oregonian/OregonLive said that could mean that any of the thousands of people affected by the Eagle Creek fire could seek $7,500 apiece from the teen’s parents.
Public outrage spread almost as fast as the wildfire, with an outcry on social media on a scale and animus that one state police official said he had never seen before. As a result, police and prosecutors have kept the boy’s name secret and released few details of their criminal investigation.
Check back for updates as the hearing gets underway.
– Maxine Bernstein
mbernstein@oregonian.com
503-221-8212
@maxoregonian
