Idaho wildfire ambush: Two firefighters shot dead after being ‘lured' to ‘deliberate' blaze in Coeur D' Alene
Two firefighters have been killed, and local authorities are reporting potential additional casualties after an unknown number of gunmen opened fire on emergency crews arriving to battle a bushfire in the US state of Idaho.
The local sheriff's department in Coeur d'Alene has released a statement saying there is an ongoing standoff between law enforcement officers and the shooter, or shooters, suspected of the attack, which was confirmed in a chilling radio call between dispatch officers and the firefighters who were under attack.
'We now have two deaths. We have an unknown number of casualties. We still have civilians that are coming off of that mountain... We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,' Sheriff Robert Norris told local news reporters.
The situation is terrifying for firefighters as the out-of-control blaze on the Kootenai County mountain range was still raging and is believed to have been started by those responsible for the attack.
Fire crews arrived on the scene and spoke to their dispatch via radio about plans to fight the fire before being ambushed and raising desperate calls for police to attend as they were 'taking fire'.
'Send law enforcement right now, there's an active shooter zone, they're shot, BC1's down, BC3's down ... Everybody's shot up here,' the firefighter screamed through the radio.
'Law enforcement, Code three now up here. We have another firefighter down, and we need law enforcement up here. We need law enforcement,' another firefighter told the radio base.
Calls went out to fire crews who were moving toward the fire not to attend and to stay away as the shooter continued on their rampage.
'They shot us with shotguns. We've got two battalion chiefs down with multiple gunshot wounds,' one fireman reported.
'I am pinned down and it is clear to me this fire was set intentionally to draw us in.
'This is an active shooter situation up here.
'I have no idea where the shooter's at or where they're going or what direction.
'I would recommend that all our fire units escape further down towards town,' the firefighter warned across radio channels.
Governor Brad Little said on X that multiple firefighters were fired upon while responding to a blaze on Sunday in Kootenai County near Coeur d'Alene..
'This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,' Little said.
'I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.'
Authorities in western Idaho have urged residents to take shelter.
The sheriff's office in neighbouring Soshone County said on Facebook authorities were 'dealing with an active shooter situation where the shooter is still at large'.
An alert by the Kootenai County Emergency Management Office asked people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 6.5 km north of downtown Coeur d'Alene.
Coeur d'Alene is a city of 55,000 residents near the border with Washington.
— with AAP.
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Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. with reuters A man has been found dead near a firearm on a mountain in the US state of Idaho after two firefighters were shot dead in an ambush while attending a blaze. The Kootenai County Sheriff's department said a tactical response team found the dead man late on Sunday. Officials did not release his name, nor did they say what kind of firearm was found. Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Sheriff Bob Norris had earlier said law enforcement officers and firefighters were taking sniper fire and urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 420km east of Seattle. 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Deaths related to gun violence are common - 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US, according to the most recent available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. with reuters A man has been found dead near a firearm on a mountain in the US state of Idaho after two firefighters were shot dead in an ambush while attending a blaze. The Kootenai County Sheriff's department said a tactical response team found the dead man late on Sunday. Officials did not release his name, nor did they say what kind of firearm was found. Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted, the sheriff's office cautioned residents to be prepared because the fire was still burning. Sheriff Bob Norris had earlier said law enforcement officers and firefighters were taking sniper fire and urged people to stay clear of the area around Canfield Mountain, a nature zone popular with hikers near Coeur d'Alene, about 420km east of Seattle. "This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain. A firearm was found nearby," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "At this time, the shelter in place is being lifted, however there is still an active wildfire on Canfield Mountain. Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken." The sheriff said the shooter had used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. They were in a spot "with heavy brush and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," Norris added. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are currently on the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. "It remains an active, and very dangerous scene." 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