Idaho Wildfire Ambush: Gunman Dead After “Sniper Attack” Kills Two Firefighters

Update (Monday morning): 

The suspected gunman behind the deadly ambush on firefighters on the east side of Canfield Mountain—a popular hiking spot near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—was found dead. Authorities believe he started a brush fire before opening fire on first responders.

What we know so far:

• Two firefighters were killed while responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain. A third remains in critical condition and was “fighting for his life” as of Sunday evening, according to the sheriff. The names of the victims have not yet been released.
• Sheriff described the attack as a “total ambush.” The suspect is believed to have deliberately set the fire to lure in first responders, then opened fire. “They didn’t have a chance,” the sheriff said of the slain firefighters.
• The gunman was later found dead on the mountain with a weapon nearby. The Sheriff called it a “sniper-style” attack but withheld details about the firearm recovered. Additional searches are planned once fire conditions allow. 

On Sunday evening, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris described the attack as a “total ambush,” adding, “These firefighters did not have a chance.”

🚨 BREAKING: Police believe there was only ONE shooter in the Idaho incident, and they tracked him down using cell phone pings

Authorities DID exchange gunfire with him, but cannot confirm how he died.

Two firefighters lost their lives, one is critical and in surgery.

Snipers… pic.twitter.com/UG1fBmRrt6

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 30, 2025

Kootenai County Commissioner Bruce Mattare told reporters that the attack on first responders was “senseless and tragic beyond words.”

“This is not who we are as a community,” Mattare said, adding that Coeur d’Alene was “a place that’s comprised of caring people.”

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X that he had deployed “assets” to “provide tactical and operational support.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told The Independent Sunday that the “DHS is actively monitoring the scene in Coeur d’Alene.”

Residents of Coeur d’Alene lined the highway with American flags to honor two firefighters killed.

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