REDDING – A Redding firefighter on the front lines battling the Park Fire was the victim of a crime while working with a hand crew in the remote area of California’s fourth largest fire in the history.

Judah Collins saved for years to buy a car and finally settled on a charcoal gray 2006 Ford Ranger that allowed him to leave his bicycle, his preferred mode of transportation, behind.

He bought the truck in February, but it was stolen in late July. He only learned of the loss in the middle of a shift with a California Conservation Corps crew cutting lines for the Park Fire.

“It was pretty crazy. It was 24-hour shifts every day,” Collins said.

He said he became a firefighter to give back to his community, even though he knew it was hard work. When the Park Fire broke out in Butte County in late July, he was at the fire station within hours, parking his car and driving a bus to remote areas where crews were needed.

Collins said it is common practice to park on the lot, which is busy during the week but less busy at weekends, giving potential thieves the opportunity to steal their car unnoticed.

“A few days later, I called my sister. I told her, ‘Hey, I left my keys at one of the offices. If you just want to leave, knock on the front door, get the keys and then bring my car home. That would be great.’ And she came over and just told me there was no car here,” Collins said.

At first he thought his car had been towed away, but he soon realized that someone had seen an opportunity and seized it while he was busy fighting the fire for days.

The truck he had saved up for is now nowhere to be found. Collins is back in Redding, sidelined by foot injuries he sustained at the Park Fire. He said he got through it and was “sad” to leave his crew, but ultimately took a few days of medical leave to recover.

During this time, he says, he’s trying to gather what he can to reevaluate next steps and a possible replacement for his truck. Until then, he’s commuting by bike again.

When a family friend who knew virtually nothing of Collins learned of the incident, she immediately jumped into action and organized a fundraiser in his name as a “thank you” for the work he had done for the community in fighting the wildfires.

“We are still praying that Judah’s truck will be found. If not, hopefully this money can help him replace it. Let’s give something back to this hero,” the fundraiser’s organizer wrote in an online post.

Collins said they did not expect this level of support.

“It’s just been incredible to see all the people who have been so generous to me. It’s just mind-blowing. I’m definitely overwhelmed by it,” Collins said.

Collins’ truck is a charcoal-colored 2006 Ford Ranger. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Redding Police.

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