There's no hiding the devastation of the Eagle Creek fire, which torched nearly 50,000 acres of forest along the Columbia River Gorge and led 2,000 people to flee their homes. As the fire's burned since Sept. 2, Oregonians have pleaded for answers while they watched wildlife habitat, beloved trails and historic landmarks go up in flames.

Yet when it's come to the 15-year-old charged with starting the massive blaze, law enforcement officials have aggressively worked to hide the process from public view.

Though the suspect was identified the day the fire started, Oregon State Police refused to release his name. Agency officials confirmed that decision ran counter to their typical practice of releasing suspects' names in high-profile cases.

Then, the Hood River County district attorney quietly scheduled what should have been a well-attended public hearing and arraigned the youth, who faces criminal mischief and four other charges.

A press release on Thursday explained that the agencies "will have no further comment until the case has been resolved." They did not provide any basic information. Not the date of the arraignment. Not his name. Not his lawyer's name. Not his parents' names. Especially galling, the agencies implied they won't provide the date, time or location of his next hearing, where it's possible an agreed-upon deal could be blessed by a judge and the teen could be sentenced.

By state law, that's all information the county's Juvenile Department could release. In fact, if the Vancouver youth was in custody, the department is typically required to release all of it.

State law also spells out that while juvenile records must remain confidential, juvenile court proceedings are open to the public. And while some counties are better than others, most courts across the state are willing to acknowledge and publicly post when such high-interest defendants are headed to court. But that's not what's happening and Oregonians should be concerned.

It's also nothing like how law enforcement officials handled the massive fire at Woodburn High School five years ago. There, the local police released public documents within days after three 15-year-olds were accused of setting a fire inside a classroom that caused more than $5 million in damage. The documents included the boys' names, their lawyers' names and details of the alleged crime, including that they'd started the fire and then tried to put it out.

Soon after, the boys' lawyers released the date of an arraignment, where they were charged as adults and faced a Measure 11 crime of first-degree arson. The boys, who also faced an angry community, eventually received a plea agreement that treated them as juveniles.

Law enforcement officials say they've concealed the name of the teen charged in the Eagle Creek fire out of concern for his safety. But Oregon State Police have not investigated any credible, specific threats against the teen or his family. In the past, the agency's Capt. Bill Fugate pointed to various angry and violent comments on social media as a reason why the police agency didn't identify the youth. While many comments have indeed been nasty, knee-jerk internet screeds shouldn't dictate law enforcement's decisions on whether to disclose information that is of great interest to the public.

Other experts following the case say Hood River County officials are likely weighing the public interest in providing the information against how it might hurt the youth's mental health or his ability to learn from his mistakes and move on.

That's understandable. And despite their anger and frustration, a good number of Oregonians say they're satisfied the issue is now before the court, where they trust it will be handled fairly. Yet most folks favor that resolution believing that the justice system is a public one.

Having "your day" in court is not simply a requirement for the accused. It is the long-standing and necessary step in our legal process that also provides victims with information, accountability and some emotional resolution.

Oregonians from the area who were most affected by the Eagle Creek fire deserve that access. Same for the 150 hikers and campers who spent a scary night in the wilderness as the fire raged around them. So, too, for members of the media, whose job is to be in those courtrooms reporting to help ensure cases are handled fairly -- not just for that one defendant, but also future defendants who may face similar charges or other crimes.

The judge assigned to this important case has the power to put these proceedings back before the public and share the information that the law allows. If that doesn't happen, the system stands to risk losing the public's trust. And with the Eagle Creek fire, Oregonians have lost enough already.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board

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Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and John Maher.

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