LOS ANGELES >> U.S. District Court Judge George Wu on Monday ordered the three men convicted of setting the Colby Fire earlier this year to pay $9 million in restitution.

Clifford Eugene Henry Jr., Steven Robert Aguirre and Jonathan Carl Jarrell must pay $4.4 million to the United States Forest Service, $1.9 million to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, $1.1 million to the California FAIR Plan Association, as well as hundreds of thousands to the Glendora Police Department, Azusa Police Department, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, and other government entities and private citizens.

The court ordered that “restitution be paid first to the individual victims, second to the insurance companies and their insureds, and as the last order of preference, to the government entities.”

“Although the timetable is uncertain,” Azusa Interim City Manager Don Penman said, “we welcome any restitution that will potentially be paid-out to the City of Azusa for the destruction caused by the three men convicted of setting the Colby Fire earlier this year.”

However, Glendora Police Chief Tim Staab was less optimistic about seeing any funds from Monday’s order.

“I think the restitution was at the rate of $25 a month,” Staab said. “So Glendora residents are going to be standing in line a long time before they finally see any restitution as a result of the felony fire damages.”

The 1,925-acre Colby Fire on Jan. 16 destroyed five homes and 17 structures.

• Photos: Colby Fire in Angeles National Forest near Glendora

The blaze also caused the evacuations of thousands of residents from their homes in the foothill cities of Azusa and Glendora.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued the men knew the risks of their actions and even discussed the potential of a wildfire before starting an illegal campfire amid intense Santa Ana winds.

Henry Jr. and Aguirre were sentenced in August to six months and four months, respectively, in federal prison for their roles in sparking the fire.

Jarrell’s sentencing was delayed until June 2015 while he undergoes a mental health and drug treatment program.