
Officials said that while responding to the brush, two people were fatally shot in a mountainous community in western U.S. West Idaho.
At least one active shooter is firing at law enforcement, using a high-powered rifle near Coeur d’Alene, said Robert Norris, the Kutnernai County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are actively taking over the sniper fire,” Sheriff Norris said, adding that the bullets reported by the officers came from all directions. Residents have been asked to avoid scenes on Canfield Hill.
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, said the agents were responding to “providing tactical and operational support.” Gov. Brad Little said “multiple heroic firefighters” were attacked.
The governor posted on X: “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.”
He added: “As this continues to develop, please stay away from the area to allow law enforcement and firefighters to work.”
“We don’t know if there is one, two, three, four” shooter, about four miles (6.5 kilometers) north of the central part of Coeur d’Alene, Sheriff Norris said in a press conference on Sunday.
“We don’t know how many suspects there are, we don’t know how many casualties there are,” he said.
Sheriff Norris said authorities believe the two people killed were firefighters.
“I hope someone can be clear and neutralized because they have not shown any evidence of wanting to surrender yet,” the sheriff added.
He told reporters there were civilians on Canfield Mountain, which was equipped with hiking and cycling trails, so it was “safe to assume” that others were still there.
Sheriff Norris said the phone call about the brush fire was around 13:22 local time on Sunday. At 14:00, firefighters reported the shooting.
During the gunfight, the fire was still burning.
Local fire chief Pat Riley told TV station KHQ that he was “heartbroken” about the attack.
The Kootenai County Emergency Management Office issued an alert asking people to avoid the area around Canfield Mountain Trail and Nettleton Gulch Road.