BURSTShelter-in-place alert sent to Coeur d’Alene residents after multiple people were shot at while controlling fire
A sniper ambushed firefighters responding to a blaze in an Idaho mountain community on Sunday, according to local law enforcement killing at least two people and unleashing barrages of gunfire over several hours in an attack the governor called a “heinous” assault.
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said crews responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain about 1.30 pm and gunshots were reported about a half hour later.
Sheriff Bob Norris told reporters officials didn’t know if anyone else was shot.
“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are,” Norris said. “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”
People are still coming off the mountain, the sheriff said, so it “would be safe to assume” that others are still up there.
The state’s governor Brad Little said “multiple” firefighters were attacked.
“Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho,” Little wrote on Facebook. “This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”
A large number of law enforcement vehicles flooded the area, including US marshals, according to a photograph posted on social media by the news director of the local broadcaster KXLY.
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