Firefighters Shot Dead by 'Sniper' After Responding to Fire

Firefighters responding to a wildfire on Canfield Mountain, outside Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, were fired on in an ambush that left two dead and a third injured Sunday afternoon. Nearby residents were told to shelter in place as responding deputies took sniper fire, and an hourslong, multi-agency manhunt ensued. The shelter-in-place order was lifted late Sunday after a SWAT team found the body of a man on the mountain, a firearm nearby, USA Today reports. The brush fire broke out around 1:30pm and firefighters were on the scene about a half-hour later, which is when the suspect started shooting at them from the woods, ABC News reports.

The local sheriff said the suspect was in an area "with heavy brush and they are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings" as they fired on responding officers. Authorities are investigating whether the fire was intentionally set in an effort to lure firefighters to the area. "Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho," Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in a statement. "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." The The International Association of Fire Fighters confirmed two of its members were killed and a third was in surgery following a gunshot wound.