Firefighter’s car stolen while responding to a fire in Vernonia

    VERNONIA, Oregon (KPTV ) -- A Vernonia firefighter had her car stolen on Christmas Day while responding to a house fire.

Vernonia Rural Fire District responded to a house fire on 2nd Street in Vernonia.

While they were out fighting the fire, Brandi Abney, a firefighter with the department, says her car was stolen from the fire house. Police told her that the vehicle had been stolen around 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 26. It was taken to Sauvie Island, where it was dumped and burned.

Abney tells FOX 12 that she had just finished paying off that car with the money she earned while fighting Oregon's historic wildfires. Although she has another car, it's just too small to fit her family; she has four kids.

"It was more like it was unreal. I was like, is this a bad dream? Is this a joke? I wasn't sure what to take of it. It took a little bit to hit, but once it did, it was pretty devastating," Abney said.

Abney said she's waiting on insurance to see about replacing her car.