Idaho shooting: Firefighters attacked near Coeur d'Alene; two killed, gunman at large

A suspect opened fire on firefighters responding to a blaze near Canfield Mountain in northern Idaho on Sunday, killing two people and sparking a police operation to track down the shooter, who was still active in the area by afternoon.

Authorities confirmed that emergency crews had reached the scene of the fire around 1:30 pm local time. About 30 minutes later, gunshots were reported. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office said police were still “taking sniper fire” several hours later.

Idaho governor Brad Little called the act “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,” he said on social media platform X.

Officials in neighbouring Shoshone County described the unfolding event as “an active shooter situation where the shooter is still at large.”

Residents were urged to avoid the Canfield Mountain Trailhead and nearby Nettleton Gulch Road, located around four miles north of downtown Coeur d’Alene. The fire at the mountain site was still burning.

Coeur d’Alene is home to about 55,000 people and lies close to the Washington state border.