[MtnGoat]

Drove it last night for the first time since the fire. As you can see from the vids, much of the damage is up far above 84. From 84 the damage appears as patchy brown areas covering some or much of the visible slopes, while near the ridge line way above you can see much more brown area. Angel's rest is toast, completely burned from what I could see. The fire came right to the roadside of 84 in some stretches with the understory completely burned out here and there, underneath browned trees. Some smoke still drifting down off the hillsides and a river of it coming down from Eagle Creek. We're going on 4 weeks since the little **** started the fires, with no word on arrests or prosecution.

[thunderhead]

[MtnGoat]

All that jerk did to me was have my eyes burning for two-three weeks and totally miss out on otherwise clear nights in the best observing month of the year, blowing my much looked forward to fall fun. Including blanking the night of the fire's beginning, with my dad here from Spokane. Clear all day, we start getting psyched, then here comes the cloud in early evening...and that was it for weeks. Thanks, screwhead. My story is tiny...others he screwed much harder, from lost homes to ridiculous commutes and massive buisness losses, plus the raw destruction in the Gorge. Nail the little **** to the wall.

[Sore Feet]

He's been formally charged now. http://www.theolympian.com/news/nation-world/article179780916.html

[zephyr]

Thanks, sorefeet for the update. Here's a little more information about both the prosecution and aftermath of the fires. This article in the Oregonian talks about the charges filed against the fifteen-year old believed responsible for starting the fire near Punchbowl Falls. Please read the article for more in depth coverage and explanations as well as maps and photos showing the damage. It was also noted that there was no indication of additional charges for others who may have been involved or present at the scene. Quote: The teen appeared recently in Hood River County Circuit Court and was arraigned on a juvenile court petition, the Hood River County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. ... He faces allegations of reckless burning, depositing burning materials on forest lands, unlawful fireworks possession, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering other people. The fire began about 4 p.m. Sept. 2 over the hot Labor Day weekend. It trapped dozens of hikers on the popular Eagle Creek Trail and spread rapidly, fueled by gusting winds and tinder dry forest conditions. A woman reported witnessing a boy throw fireworks into the Eagle Creek Canyon that Saturday afternoon and described the group of friends giggling and taking a cellphone video of the deed that afternoon. ... The investigation -- by state police with help from the U.S. Forest Service -- was closely watched by people with a stake in the fire and aftermath. "Fireworks are illegal at any time on any federal lands," Michael Lang, conservation director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, said in a statement. "What happens next is for the courts to decide." Opinion is divided in Cascade Locks, the city nearest the Eagle Creek Trail where much of the town was ordered to evacuate and shops suffered big losses during the worst of the blaze. ... Reckless burning and recklessly endangering other people are misdemeanors and criminal mischief can be a misdemeanor or a felony. Oregon law doesn't allow the damaging effects that a fire inflicts to influence a prosecutor's decision on whether to charge arson. It's the accused fire-starter's intent that is a main factor. The least serious charge is reckless burning, which often results in a sentence of probation. The most serious is Measure 11 first-degree arson, which calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 1/2 years in prison. ... The next article in the Oregonian talks about the current situation in the aftermath of the fire. Quote: The 48,831-acre wildfire is 50 percent contained and is no longer growing. “The uncontained portion of the fire is in steep, inaccessible terrain and fire managers do not anticipate the wildfire will spread in these areas,” fire officials said in a recent update. All the smoke seen for over two weeks has been from the fire’s interior, fire spokeswoman Kelly Coughlin said. There still are firefighters assigned to the fire and safety patrols to keep people from going into the burned areas which are still very hazardous. Quote: Coughlin said fire officials’ to-do list includes: Taking steps to minimize risks of falling trees and rocks; continued rock scaling, or prying rocks from unstable hillsides; continuing to fell trees near structures and trailheads; and setting up other safety measures and signs to announce closures and dangers. There have not been significant landslides in the burn area so far but heavy rains are expected this weekend. There is still an ongoing diversion on eastbound Highway 84 for a mile or so to avoid tree and rock hazards. ~z

[moonspots]

[bk]

Times Article: "Family of teen suspect in Gorge wildfire says he’s traumatized"

[Ski]

If they need some help, I can tell them exactly where to find sympathy in the dictionary.

[seattlenativemike]

But..but he’s a churchgoing Ukrainian!

[zephyr]

Here's an Oregon Live article about the boy charged with the crime, his family and background. ~z

[Ski]

^ I think I'm going to puke after reading that article. "We are not in our country." ??? Seriously?

[Ski]

I know who made the statement. I read the article. I find it bizarre that the local pastor would make such a statement. Has nothing to do with "being cavalier about starting a fire". Nobody's being "persecuted" - that's a load of crap. Feel free to disagree with me on that point.

[Ski]

Let me ask: WHY is the pastor's statement even included in the article? How is it even relevant to the issue at hand? The kid's been living here for most of his life, unless I'm misunderstanding the artlcle. His parents didn't move here last week. It's not "his country"? Seriously? Inexcusable.

[Ski]

.... and then there was the case of the boyfriend of the woman who owned the "Sinaloa Taqueria" down on Center and Gunnison... maybe you read about it in the news.... here in the country illegally... was dumping the waste cooking oil from the taqueria down the drains at the car wash across the street... they caught him on the surveillance cameras, arrested him, and deported him. now there's a case where the guy was really "not in his country". so did that make it okay? we should excuse his behavior or feel sorry for him because he was "not in his country"? sorry, the statement made by the pastor is simply BS. I fail to understand what the purpose or intent of the article was, other than to elicit sympathy for the perpetrator and his family. sorry, I don't feel the least bit sorry for them, and I'm not going to, and I felt that way two days ago before I knew they were Ukrainian immigrants (which, again, isn't even relevant.)

[MtnGoat]