Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush

Firefighters killed in sniper ambush in northern Idaho — The suspected lone gunman was found dead in the Canfield Mountain recreation area

(Image credit: Mehmet Yaren Bozgun / Anadolu via Getty Images)

What happened

A man started a wildfire at a popular wilderness area near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Sunday afternoon then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived to put out the flames, killing two firefighters, officials said. A third firefighter was "fighting for his life" after undergoing surgery, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said during a news conference Sunday night. The suspected lone gunman was found dead in the Canfield Mountain recreation area with a firearm nearby, Norris said.

Who said what

"We do believe that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush and it was intentional," Norris said. "These firefighters did not have a chance." The unidentified suspect's body was found hours after the attack started when investigators followed the signal from a cellphone that had remained stationary. Norris said it was unclear if he died by suicide. At an earlier press conference, the sheriff had said he hoped "somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize" the threat because the "sniper" was showing no "evidence of wanting to surrender."

The "bodies of the slain firefighters arrived in the nearby city of Spokane, Washington," Sunday evening, "escorted by a procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles," The Associated Press said. The "line-of-duty slayings rocked a region marked by a history of law enforcement deaths," said Spokane's The Spokesman-Review.

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What next?

Law enforcement lifted a shelter-in-place order Sunday night, but the still-burning fire was an "unnerving sight" for locals, The New York Times said, "because recent dry conditions have increased the wildfire danger in northern Idaho."

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.