Two people were killed and others injured after firefighters responding to a brush fire in northern Idaho were ambushed by gunfire on Sunday.
The crews were responding to an incident on Canfield Mountain, near Coeur d’Alene, when they came under what authorities described as “sniper fire”.
Law enforcement agencies near Coeur d’Alene scrambled to evacuate the area — popular for weekend hikers — while trying to stop what might be multiple attackers who were still firing shots at emergency workers.“We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,” said Sheriff Robert Norris of Kootenai County in an afternoon news conference around 4:30 p.m. He was unsure how many people had been hit by gunfire but officials said the two people killed were firefighters.As the shooting initially unfolded, firefighters pleaded for help after two of them went down with gunshot wounds, according to a feed posted on Broadcastify, a website that provides public access to emergency radio communications. One firefighter reported that they were hiding behind a firefighting rig. One voice could be heard saying that they thought the fire was set intentionally.
The fire was intentionally set.
Law enforcement, including the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, responded to the scene. Officers and first responders continued to take sniper fire for several hours after the initial attack.
Sheriff Bob Norris said officials weren’t immediately sure how many people were shot.“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris told reporters at a 4:30 p.m. news conference. “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”People were still coming off the mountain in the late afternoon, the sheriff said, so it “would be safe to assume” that others were still up there.
The Department of Homeland Security is actively monitoring the situation.
While there are no details yet on suspects, reports indicate a dead man was found next to a firearm in the area.
A deceased man was found on Canfield Mountain with a firearm nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release posted on Facebook Sunday night.Officials will disclose further details at a news conference scheduled for 9:30 p.m. local time, according to the release.The sheriff’s office also said a shelter-in-place order has been lifted, but an active wildfire remains on the mountain.“Residents in the area are advised to be prepared and ready should further action need to be taken,” the release read.
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