A wildfire broke out on Canfield Mountain near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, just after 1:20 p.m. on June 29. Fire crews responded like they always do. But this time, they were walking into a trap. By 2 p.m., gunfire erupted. Multiple firefighters were hit. Law enforcement officers came under sniper fire. The blaze wasn’t the threat. It was the bait.
Two firefighters are confirmed dead. At least nine others were shot. One remains in surgery. The shooter or shooters used high-powered rifles and fired from concealed positions in the brush. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said the shots came from multiple angles. Officers returning fire were pinned down. Civilians were still on the mountain when the ambush began.
The fire itself was intentionally set. That’s no longer speculation. Investigators believe it was used to draw in first responders. This wasn’t a protest. This wasn’t a standoff. This was a premeditated attack on public safety personnel. The FBI, ATF, and DHS are now on site. A no-fly zone was declared over the mountain. Armored vehicles and helicopters were deployed. The suspect remains at large.
The area is still under lockdown. The Canfield Mountain Trailhead and surrounding neighborhoods are closed. Residents have been told to shelter in place. The sheriff warned this could stretch into a multi-day operation. The terrain is dense. The shooter is mobile. And the motive is still unknown.
This is the deadliest targeted attack on firefighters in recent U.S. history. The last time something like this happened was in Webster, New York, in 2012. That shooter also used arson to lure in responders. This time, the scale is larger. The coordination is tighter. And the outcome is still unfolding.
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