Idaho police say 2 firefighters were killed after responding to ambush by active shooters
A shooter ambushed firefighters who responded to the fire in a mountainous Idaho community on Sunday, killing at least two people and releasing gunfire within hours, an attack the governor described as “outrageous”.
The Kutai County Sheriff’s Office said a fire broke out in Canfield Hills at about 1:30 p.m. local time, and gunfire was reported about half an hour later.
Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters that officials did not know if anyone was shot.
“We don’t know how many suspects there are, we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris said. “We actively take fire snipers when we speak.”
The sheriff said people were still on the hills, so “it’s safe to assume” that others were still there.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters were attacked.
“This is an outrageous direct attack on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idaho people to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more,” Little said on social media platform X.
The sheriff’s office near Soshone County said on Facebook that authorities are “should be on the shooter still at spacious shooters.”
The Kootenai County Emergency Management Office alerts require people to avoid the area around the Canfield Mountain Trail and Nettleton Gulch Road, about 6.5 kilometers north of downtown Coeur d’Alene.
Norris said the fire was still active.
“This will keep burning,” he said. “No resources can be put on it now.”
No additional details were provided.
Coeur d’Alene is a city with 55,000 residents near the border with Washington State. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and cycling area in the suburbs of northern Idaho city, covered with trees and heavy brushes and crisscrossing.
