An Oregon teenager must pay $36.6 million after his illegal fireworks started a massive forest fire in 2017, according to The Oregonian.
At the time, Liz FitzGerald, who was hiking in the area, saw the 15-year-old and his friends illegally launch the fireworks which ended up destroying nearly 50,000 acres of land. "I said, 'Do you realize you just started a forest fire?'" recalled FitzGerald... Although Judge John A. Olson, who handed down the verdict, said he knows the amount will be pretty much impossible for the 15-year-old to pay, he stated it's "clearly proportionate to the offense because it does not exceed the financial damages caused by the youth."
The teen's lawyer, Jack Morris, had a different opinion on the "absurd" verdict. "It's difficult to imagine anything more pointless then ordering an adolescent to pay $36 million in restitution," Morris said.