Two firefighters were killed in Idaho on Sunday afternoon after they were ambushed in a sniper attack while responding to a fire in a rugged mountain area, the authorities said.
On Sunday evening, SWAT teams found the body of a male suspect on the mountain with a firearm nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The sheriff’s office said it was lifting a shelter-in-place order that was issued earlier in the afternoon, when emergency workers came under gunfire and officials evacuated the popular hiking area near Coeur d’Alene.
The authorities did not release any additional information about the dead man’s identity but scheduled a news conference for later Sunday night. The Kootenai sheriff had earlier raised the possibility there were multiple shooters. But on Sunday evening, Bruce Mattare, chairman of the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners, said that the authorities were “awaiting confirmation” that the attack had been carried out by one person.
A wildfire that had apparently been set to lure in firefighters before the shooting was still burning, officials said.
As the shooting initially unfolded, firefighters pleaded for help after two of them went down with gunshot wounds, according to a feed posted on Broadcastify, a website that provides public access to emergency radio communications. One firefighter reported that they were hiding behind a firefighting rig. One voice could be heard saying that they thought the fire was set intentionally.
Sheriff Robert Norris of Kootenai County said it appeared that “high-powered rifles” were being used.
Kim Anderson, a spokeswoman for Kootenai Health hospital system, said that along with the two fatalities, one other person had been brought in for injuries from the shooting. She did not immediately have details on the condition of that person, but the International Association of Fire Fighters said a firefighter was in surgery.
The Canfield Mountain area, on the eastern outskirts of Coeur d’Alene, features both public and private lands, with a system of trails through steep mountain terrain used by hikers, mountain bikers and motorcyclists. Hikers were still making it off the mountain as the gunfire occurred, Sheriff Norris said.
Graham Christensen, the past president of the Lake City Trail Alliance, said the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department regularly performed brush clearing and fire suppression there, and said he did not know of a naturally caused wildfire there in the past two decades. He said the attack was a shock because the area had always felt so safe.
“Everybody feels comfortable up there,” he said.
On Sunday, Brian Hadley had been riding up the dirt roads around Canfield Mountain to train for a mountain-biking race when a neighbor called him at about 1:35 p.m. to share the news about the fire. Mr. Hadley turned back, and as he rode down the mountain he heard three gunshots in quick succession. When he reached the parking lot at base of the mountain, law-enforcement officers ordered him out of the area.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said of the shooting.
He said he could still see smoke from the fire drifting over his roof on Sunday evening — an unnerving sight because recent dry conditions have increased the wildfire danger in northern Idaho.
The F.B.I. confirmed they were on scene and helping the local authorities.
Gov. Brad Little of Idaho on social media condemned the attack. “This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” he said. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”
Mr. Mattare, of the county board of commissioners, said the active-shooter danger had hampered the authorities’ ability to fight the fire. He said the county was “mobilizing as much as we can” and that he would sign an emergency declaration on Sunday night to seek additional resources.
Mike Baker is a national reporter for The Times, based in Seattle.
Jack Healy is a Phoenix-based national correspondent for The Times who focuses on the politics and climate of the Southwest. He has worked in Iraq and Afghanistan and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s journalism school.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
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