Two firefighters have been killed and another wounded after being ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain community.
Fire crews endured a barrage of gunfire over several hours that governor Brad Little called a “heinous” assault.
“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little said on X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”
Sheriff Bob Norris urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d’Alene, about 420 km east of Seattle.
“We are prepared to neutralise this suspect who is currently actively shooting at public safety personnel,” Norris told a press conference, adding that some civilians may have been caught up in the incident and could be trapped.
The sheriff said the shooter or shooters were using high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, and “are not, at this time, showing any evidence of wanting to surrender.”
Shots were coming from multiple directions, he said, a strong indication there were multiple shooters involved.
The perpetrators were in a spot “with heavy brush and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings,” he added
“If these individuals are not neutralized quickly, this is going to be likely a multi-day operation,” Norris said.
Police and fire crews respond to a shooting and fire on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, (Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review via AP)A shelter-in-place order was lifted on Sunday night after a tactical response team discovered the body of a man with a firearm nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said.
However the sheriff’s office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning.
Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene.
Sheriff’s officials said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were reported about a half hour later.
Three victims were brought to Kootenai Health, authorities said. Two were dead on arrival and the third was being treated for injuries.
First responders made urgent calls for help on their radios: “Everybody’s shot up here … send law enforcement now,” according to one dispatch.
The FBI responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical support, Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.
Residents have also been warned to be prepared because the fire is still burning (Photo: Young Kwak/Reuters)The Idaho House Republican Leadership said in a statement: “We are horrified by the murder of two firefighters in Coeur d’Alene, and shocked by such a vicious attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families and their colleagues.”
Coeur d’Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and biking area on the city’s outskirts, covered with trees and heavy brush and crisscrossed with trails that lead into a national forest.
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