Huge Columbia River Gorge wildfire caused by a teen throwing fireworks into the forest

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When I came up to 1.5 miles up the trail, I came upon a large group of teenagers. They were kind of flanking the trail and I walked right in between them. I was standing right next to one of them who was filming and about four people away from me I saw a young boy lob a smoke bomb down into the ravine.

I said 'Do you realize how dangerous it is what you just did? They have the trail closed up ahead because of a raging wildfire.' I wanted to underscore the severity of what they just did. I said 'This whole area is so dry.'

They didn't say anything. And after he lobbed it I thought I heard a couple of girls giggle and the guy just filmed it like it was no big deal. And then they just continued down the trail.

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I just ran down the whole mountain telling people as I came by them that there was a fire. I told them 'I saw someone throw a firecracker, and it is smoking. I think it's on fire, I saw smoke, I don't know for sure that its on fire.' Because I didn't see flames but I saw billowing smoke and could smell the fire.

I kept running down and I don't know that people were heeding my call.

I passed the teenagers at that point. It was a smaller group of maybe seven or nine. Just as I was passing them I said 'Do you realize you just started a forest fire?' and the kid said, 'Well, what are we supposed to do about it now?' And I yelled over my shoulder 'Call the freaking fire department!'

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