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.