HOOD RIVER CO., OR (RNN/CNN) - An Oregon judge has ordered a teen to pay more than $36 million for a wildfire that swept through the state last year.
Circuit Judge John A. Olson wrote that the court would allow restitution in the amount of $36,618,330 to the victims of the Eagle Creek fire, which included the Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Jack Morris, the teen’s lawyer, called the figure "absurd" and "absolutely silly." He urged the judge for a more lenient amount, according to The Oregonian.
The teen was sentenced in February to five years probation and 1,920 hours of community service with the U.S. Forest Service. He also was ordered to write apologies to the 152 people who were trapped on the trail because of the blaze.
The fire started in September, engulfed more than 48,000 acres in Oregon and Washington before it was contained. It cost the state at least $20 million.
If the teen cannot pay the millions in full, the court said he could establish a payment plan.
The boy was 15 when he allegedly threw a smoke bomb in the forested area.
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. CNN contributed to the report. All rights reserved.
