Idaho Firefighters Killed in Sniper Ambush : Gunman Found Dead

COEUR D’ALENE, ID 29 June 2025 — “Two battalion chiefs down! Everybody’s shot up here!” The panicked radio transmission pierced Sunday afternoon stillness as firefighters battling a wilderness blaze became targets in a calculated sniper ambush. Two first responders died, another clings to life, and a shocked community now grapples with a chilling question: Was the wildfire itself bait?

By nightfall, SWAT teams found a gunman’s body—but not answers.

Fire as a Deadly Trap

What began as routine brush fire response at Canfield Mountain Natural Area turned lethal within 40 minutes. As crews worked the 1:21 p.m. call, high-powered rifle fire erupted from dense forest. “The flames were a trap,” a federal investigator revealed anonymously. “Someone used fire as a weapon against firefighters” .

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe confirmed arson analysts now scour the scene: “They’ll reconstruct ignition points. Was this fire set to lure heroes to their death?”

“Actively Taking Sniper Fire”

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris briefed reporters amid gunfire: “Deputies are returning fire with authorization to neutralize.” Rugged terrain became a sniper’s fortress—thick brush hid gunmen while smoke blinded helicopters. “It’s a nightmare scenario,” said Mark Lathrop, whose wife hikes there weekly. “Nowhere to run” .

Three bleeding firefighters reached Kootenai Health. Two died en route; the third underwent emergency surgery.

Brothers in Arms Fall

The International Association of Fire Fighters identified the slain as their own. “Ambushed in a heinous act,” President Edward Kelly wrote. “These heroes answered nature’s call and met human evil” .

With gunfire pinning crews, the wildfire—dubbed Nettleton Gulch—raged unchecked under 104-degree heat. “We couldn’t send help,” Deputy Fire Chief Bill Deruyter said. “More lives hung in the balance” .

Body Found, Case Open

As dusk fell, SWAT teams discovered a dead man near a rifle. Authorities lifted shelter-in-place orders but won’t confirm if he acted alone. “This scene remains active,” warned Sheriff Norris, noting the wildfire still burns .

Federal investigators now swarm the mountain. ATF K-9 units sniff for explosives while FBI agents trace the rifle. “It’s a battlefield,” former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis observed. “First responders were fish in a barrel”.

“Attack on All Americans”

Idaho Governor Brad Little called it “a heinous assault on those who run toward danger.” U.S. Senator Jim Risch vowed: “Every resource will hunt these killers” .

Locals lined streets with salutes as ambulances carried bodies. Resident Bruce Deming, who guided deputies through back trails, voiced community dread: “Who targets firefighters? What’s next?”