Eagle Creek Fire: Charges Filed Against 15-Year-Old Firestarter, Hood River County DA Says

HOOD RIVER, OR — The 15-year-old boy who allegedly ignited the Eagle Creek Fire in the Columbia River Gorge on Sept. 2 was recently arraigned in a Hood River County Circuit Court, Oregon State Police officials said Thursday.

According to a statement written on behalf of the Hood River County District Attorney's Office, the charges against the boy filed in a Juvenile Court Petition include reckless burning, depositing burning materials on forest lands, unlawful possession of fireworks, criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering other persons. The petition was reportedly filed by the Hood River County Juvenile Department at the behest of John Sewell, the county's district attorney.

"When the Eagle Creek fire erupted, a criminal investigation was immediately begun by the Oregon State Police," Sewell's statement said in part. "US Forest Service investigators have been assisting the State Police in this ongoing investigation… (and) although extensive damage caused by the wildfire occurred in both Hood River and Multnomah Counties, Oregon's juvenile code dictates that legal proceedings be commenced in the county where the illegal act originally occurred, which is Hood River County.

"The District Attorney's office, the Oregon State Police and the Hood River County Juvenile Department will have no further comment until the case has been resolved."

Previously, Oregon State Police told local media outlets the agency would not release the boy's name out of concern for his safety and the safety of his family based on the number of threats made since the fire torched nearly 50,000 acres of coveted Oregon forest lands along Interstate-84 between Troutdale and Hood River, as well as the 260-acre Archer Mountain fire in Washington.

Earlier reports from witnesses said the boy was one in a group of teens who were "giggling" as lit firecrackers were tossed carelessly into the Eagle Creek Canyon. When the fire began, several hikers in the area were forced to flee as the fire rapidly grew out of control.

The immediate moments after the fire began were caught on cell phone video by Twitter user @JuliusChoong:

Webmaster, photographer, and filmmaker Oca Hoeflein shared time-lapse footage of the fire's growth near Cascade Locks, Oregon, from his Canon 40D DSLR camera positioned across the Columbia River in Stevenson, Washington. The pictures captured the fire's spread between 5 p.m. Sept. 4 and 5 a.m. Sept. 5. The YouTube video has been viewed more than 61,000 times since Hoeflein posted it Sept. 5.

With heavy Pacific Northwest autumn rains ahead, fire officials provided the final Eagle Creek Fire update on Oct. 11:

Image via Oregon State Police