At least two firefighters lost their lives and a third was wounded in a targeted sniper attack while responding to a wildfire on Canfield Mountain in Kootenai County, northern Idaho, on Sunday. The incident unfolded around 1:30 p.m. local time when fire crews arrived to tackle a blaze near Coeur d’Alene, a city close to the Washington border. About 30 minutes later, gunfire erupted, trapping responders in a deadly ambush.
“We now have two deaths. We have an unknown amount of casualties. We still have civilians that are coming off of that mountain… We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,” Norris said during a press briefing. He emphasized that the shooter showed “no evidence of wanting to surrender,” urging law enforcement to neutralize the threat as soon as a clear shot was available.
Authorities believe the gunman, who was later found dead by a tactical team, acted alone and intentionally set the wildfire to lure emergency responders into the ambush. The suspect’s body was discovered in a wooded area with a firearm nearby after flames rapidly approached the site.
Local fire chief Pat Riley expressed his heartbreak over the attack. Idaho Governor Brad Little condemned the assault, calling it a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters” and urged residents to pray for the victims and their families.
Residents were advised to shelter in place until the situation was resolved, with emergency alerts warning of an active shooter in the Canfield Mountain area. The fire itself remained active on the mountainside as law enforcement continued their operation.
This tragic event highlights the dangers faced by first responders amid increasing gun violence in the United States, where 189 mass shootings have been recorded this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Okay.ng reports that the firefighting teams were responding to what initially appeared to be a routine wildfire when the ambush occurred, complicating rescue and containment efforts.
