Firefighters were ambushed by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a mountainous area north of Idaho on Sunday, resulting in at least two fatalities and several hours of gunfire in what the governor described as a “heinous” attack.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office reported that crews were responding to a fire on Canfield Mountain north of Coeur d’Alene around 1:30 PM (8:30 PM GMT), when reports of gunfire emerged about half an hour later.
Sheriff Bob Norris stated that officials believe the two deceased are members of the firefighting team. It remains unclear whether anyone else was injured in the incident.
Norris told reporters at a press conference held at 4:30 PM, “We do not know how many suspects are out there, nor do we know the number of victims.” He added, “We are currently taking fire from a sniper as we speak.”
The sheriff mentioned that people are still descending from the mountain, so it is “safe to assume” that others may still be on-site.
Governor Brad Little stated that “many” firefighters were targeted in the attack.
Little wrote on social media platform X, “This is a direct and heinous assault on brave firefighters,” and urged all Idaho residents to pray for them and their families as more information unfolds.
