When a teenager hurled fireworks into a parched canyon near one of Oregon's most scenic hiking trails, sparking a cloud of smoke to rise up toward him and his friends, some in the group reportedly giggled and recorded video, oblivious to the danger.

What came next was a wildfire that raged through the Columbia River Gorge and, eight months later, a court order mandating the teen pay more than $US36 million ($47.5m) in restitution. 

Hood River County Circuit Judge John Olson in an opinion released Monday acknowledged that the teen could not pay that full amount. But the damage caused by the September 2 fire was substantial: After the firework ignited dry bush, a blaze spread to more than 19,000 hectares, wrecking many parts of the gorge's recreation area and costing firefighters at least $26 million, the Oregonian reported last fall. It would be known as the Eagle Creek fire, which burned for two months and was not 100 percent contained until November 30.

The fire endangered popular landmarks such as Multnomah Falls and destroyed the Oneonta Tunnel on the Historic Columbia River Highway, about 50 kilometres east of Portland. It forced hundreds of people to evacuate to cities between Portland and Hood River, Oregon, closed the Interstate 84 for 10 days and threatened 5,000 homes and buildings, according to the Oregonian. At least four homes were destroyed.

In Portland, ash fell from the sky like snow, evoking memories of the eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 1980, according to the Willamette Week. In Cascade Locks, a summer tourist destination near the Columbia River , businesses took an estimated hit of more than $2.6 million.