Two firefighters lost their lives and a third remains hospitalized in critical condition after a gunman deliberately set a fire to draw first responders into an ambush on Canfield Mountain outside Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon.
The unidentified shooter was found dead with a firearm nearby on Sunday evening after authorities tracked a cell phone signal to his location, Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris announced.
SWAT teams had to quickly remove the gunman’s body from the scene as the fire he allegedly started continued to spread across the mountainside.
The deadly trap began unfolding when the fire was first reported at approximately 1:21 p.m.
Firefighters arrived to conduct reconnaissance on the blaze, but around 2 p.m., they suddenly came under gunfire from the concealed shooter.
Two firefighters were killed immediately at the scene – one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue.
A third firefighter was wounded in the attack and underwent surgery, where he is now fighting for his life but remains in stable condition.
Sheriff Norris confirmed authorities are investigating whether the gunman himself made the original 911 call reporting the fire in order to draw firefighters to the location.
“This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,” Norris stated.
Harrowing audio from fire department scanner calls captured the terror experienced by first responders as the ambush unfolded.
“Send law enforcement right now! There’s an active shooter zone,” one firefighter could be heard desperately calling out over the radio.
The same firefighter continued broadcasting the dire situation, stating “Everybody’s shot up here!” while reporting that two battalion chiefs were down and he was trapped in position.
Emergency communications revealed the firefighter later warned his colleagues to stay away from the scene, as outlined by the Daily Mail.
“Stop. Do not come up here,” he transmitted to other responding units.
The firefighter on scene recognized the deliberate nature of the attack, stating over the radio: “It’s clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in.”
Additional scanner traffic captured another firefighter telling dispatch he had no idea where the shooters were located or which direction they might be moving.
The first responder recommended that all fire units retreat down the road toward town to establish a safe staging area approximately half a mile away, according to NBC News.
The firefighter continued coordinating the emergency response, requesting multiple ambulances be staged at the bottom of the mountain.
“As soon as we get law enforcement in here to get these people out, I recommend we get no less than five… ambulances staged at the bottom. I don’t care where we get them from,” he transmitted.
Fire crews were ultimately forced to withdraw from the scene entirely.
Northern Lakes Fire District Chief Pat Riley told KHQ that he would not deploy additional crew members until the threat was neutralized.
While firefighters pulled back, the blaze continued expanding to cover 20 acres as the gunman maintained his shooting position.
The rapid gunfire eventually prompted authorities to evacuate the nearby Fernan Gun Club, with members being told a sniper was operating in the area, the Coeur d’Alene Press reports.
Chief Riley described his reaction upon learning of the ambush as being “completely heartbroken.”
He noted that while departments train for such scenarios, “You never want to see it in your own community.”
Life Flight helicopters were dispatched to the scene, and photographs and videos posted online showed extensive law enforcement presence throughout the surrounding area.
Authorities from Spokane, Washington provided mutual aid assistance in what they described on social media as an “active, ongoing incident” on East Nettleton Gulch Road.
Federal resources were also mobilized for the response.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed on social media that federal assets were heading to the scene to provide “tactical and operational support.”
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the US Forest Service deployed additional firefighting and law enforcement resources to assist local agencies.
Law enforcement agents and medical professionals remained on standby at Kootenai Health as the situation continued to develop throughout the afternoon.
By approximately 4:30 p.m., Sheriff Norris authorized law enforcement officers to use deadly force against the gunman if presented with the opportunity.
He deployed two helicopters equipped with sniper teams to locate and neutralize the shooter.
“I am hoping someone has a clear shot, they are not showing any signs of wanting to surrender,” Norris said of the shooter during an earlier news conference, adding that it was “going to be a tough couple of hours.”
Authorities now believe the deceased gunman was the sole shooter involved in the attack.
“Based on the trajectory [of the bullets] and based on the type of weapons that this individual had that we could recover,” Norris explained the evidence pointing to a single perpetrator.
The sheriff indicated the gunman was likely moving while firing, as he announced “there is no threat to the community at this time” following the discovery of the body.
The suspect’s motive for carrying out the deadly ambush remains unclear as the investigation continues.
Sheriff Norris expects the investigation to resume Monday, when authorities anticipate recovering additional weapons left at the scene. However, the ongoing fire may complicate those recovery efforts.
Local resident Mark Lathrop expressed concern about the fire conditions in the area. “They have cleared the underbrush, but where they’re going to be, it’s going to be pretty thick and it’s very, very dry. We haven’t had a lot of rain here,” he told CNN.
Idaho Governor Brad Little condemned the attack as a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters.”
He asked “all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more,” adding that he and his wife are “heartbroken” by the news.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department was monitoring the situation. “Pray for Idaho’s first responders,” she wrote on X.
“Justice will be served.”
The post Firefighters Slaughtered in ‘Total Ambush’ as Sniper-Wielding Gunman Sets Fire to Lure First Responders into Trap in Idaho Bloodbath as Police Probe Mysterious 911 Call appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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