Two firefighters were killed and another critically injured on Sunday after being shot while responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Authorities believe the blaze was deliberately set to lure emergency personnel into an ambush.
The incident began around 1:30 p.m. when crews arrived to tackle a wildfire in the Nettleton Gulch area. According to Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, gunfire erupted shortly after their arrival, catching the responders off guard. “This was an intentional ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,” Norris said during a press briefing.
Emergency radio communications captured the chaos at the scene. “Everybody’s shot up here. Send law enforcement now,” one dispatcher said, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities quickly issued a shelter-in-place order for nearby neighborhoods and locked down the hiking trails surrounding the mountain. More than 300 officers from regional and federal agencies responded to the unfolding crisis, including the FBI and law enforcement from Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, was located using cellphone data. Officers traced a stationary signal to a location on the mountain, where they found a man dead with a rifle nearby. Authorities believe he was the lone gunman. “There is no threat to the community at this time,” Sheriff Norris confirmed.
Due to the ongoing wildfire and dangerous terrain, recovery teams had to quickly remove the suspect’s body from the scene, which authorities acknowledged may have compromised the investigation. Officials believe additional weapons may still be located in the area and plan to resume the search once the fire is fully contained.
Three firefighters were transported to Kootenai Health, where two were pronounced dead. One was from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, the other from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. The third firefighter underwent surgery and is reported to be in stable condition.
The fire itself, named the Nettleton Gulch Fire, had consumed around 20 acres by late Sunday night, according to the Idaho Department of Lands. While no structures were lost, the firefighting response was delayed until 7:30 p.m. due to the threat of continued gunfire. Crews remain on site overnight to manage flare-ups and prevent further spread.
Governor Brad Little condemned the attack as a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” and the area remains under a temporary no-fly zone.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown. However, experts warn that violence against first responders has been on the rise. Incidents earlier this year in Oklahoma and Kansas City involved emergency personnel being targeted while on duty.
“The job’s not over,” said Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent. “These brave men and women continue to put themselves in harm’s way every day, even after unspeakable tragedies like this.”
