Two firefighters were killed and a third was injured when first responders were ambushed by an hours-long barrage of gunfire after arriving at the scene of a blaze in Idaho Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The horrific attack, which began around 2 p.m. local time on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, ended about five hours later when SWAT teams discovered the lifeless body of a man next to a firearm on the popular tourist trail, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
Police have not released the suspected gunman’s identity or specified the type of weapon recovered at the horrific scene.
Earlier shelter-in-place orders have since been lifted, but police cautioned residents that the fire remains active.
Two people believed to be fire personnel were killed in the ambush, Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters during a press conference earlier in the night.
The third victim, who sustained a gunshot wound during the violent suprise attack, is being treated at Kootenai Health, a hospital spokesperson confirmed. The wounded firefighter’s condition remains unknown.
The deadly shooting erupted roughly 30 minutes after first responders were called to a small but active brush fire on the mountain.
As fire crews moved in to tackle the blaze, bullets suddenly rained down from multiple directions shot by an unknown assailant hiding in the woods, officials said.
The gunfight was relentless. Officers faced “active sniper fire” as the sheriff provided an update to reporters — stating that his deputies had yet to determine whether they were dealing with one shooter or multiple suspects but were prepared to “neutralize” the threat as quickly as possible.
“We don’t know if there’s one, two, three or four [shooters],” Norris said, adding that the fire may have been deliberately set to lure first responders into a trap.
“It’s going to be a tough next couple of hours. I’m hoping that someone has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they’re not, at this point in time, showing evidence of wanting to surrender.
“If these individuals aren’t neutralized quickly, this is likely going to be a multi-day operation.”
Meanwhile, the brush fire has continued to rage on as authorities had been too busy responding to the shooting to fight the blaze.
“It’s going to keep burning. Can’t put any resources on it right now,” Norris said before the suspected gunman was found dead.
The FBI responded to the active scene providing tactical and operational support with other state and local agencies, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little urged the public to avoid the area when shelter-in-place orders were issued for the Canfield Mountain Trailhead and nearby areas.
“Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho,” Little said in a post on X.
“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more. Teresa and I are heartbroken.”
With Post wires.
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