Two people were killed on Sunday afternoon after gunfire unexpectedly broke out while firefighters were responding to a brush fire in western Idaho, officials said. The shooting began around 2 p.m. local time as emergency crews reached the site of the fire on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d'Alene, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.
SWAT officers found the unidentified man dead on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d'Alene, with a gun next to his body, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office confirmed. Authorities believe that the suspect intentionally started the wildfire in the forest as a bait for first responders to the area and then attacked them upon reaching the scene.
Killed and Got Killed
The shelter-in-place order has now been lifted, but officials warn that the wildfire remains active after fire crews had to retreat when the gunfire broke out, according to Northern Lakes Fire District Chief Pat Riley, who spoke to KHQ earlier.
Riley said at a press briefing on Sunday night that no more firefighting personnel would be sent to the area until the danger was fully resolved.
Distressing radio dispatch recordings captured the terror faced by first responders as they tried to fight the fire.
"Send law enforcement right now! There's an active shooter zone," one firefighter could be heard saying.
"Everybody's shot up here!" the terrified firefighter continued, noting that two battalion chiefs were "down" and he was "pinned."
He was later overheard warning his fellow firefighters, saying, "Stop. Do not come up here."
"It's clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in," the firefighter claimed.
In another radio message, a firefighter was heard telling dispatch that he had " no idea where the shooters [are] at or where they're going in, in which direction."
"I would recommend that our units, all of our firing units, escape further down the pavement towards town, maybe a half a mile or so to a safe staging area," the first responder said, according to NBC News.
Danger Still Exists
The gunfire continued into Sunday evening, prompting Norris to authorize officers to use lethal force against the suspects if the chance arises. "I'm hoping someone has a clear shot, they are not showing any signs of wanting to surrender," Norris said about the shooters.
He also noted that the situation would be difficult in the coming hours, as the fire still rages and some civilians may be stranded on Canfield Mountain.
Life Flight helicopters were dispatched to the area, while photos and videos shared online showed a large police presence nearby.
Officials from Spokane, Washington, also responded to help with what they described on social media as an "active, ongoing situation" on East Nettleton Gulch Road.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed on social media that teams were being sent to the location to provide "tactical and operational support," and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Forest Service had mobilized additional firefighting and law enforcement personnel.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officers and medical staff remained on alert at Kootenai Health, where one firefighter was undergoing surgery Sunday night.
