LIVE UPDATES: Two firefighters shot dead after responding to a bush fire in Idaho, USA

Loneson Mondo — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 06:01:38 +0000

Two firefighters have been shot dead with a high-powered rifle after responding to a brush fire in Idaho, say US officials
The killings prompted a manhunt on a mountain, with police saying they had been under active “sniper fire” from at least one suspect
But the manhunt has now ended after a SWAT team found the body of a man with a firearm nearby, the local sheriff’s office says
Officials have lifted a “shelter in place” order for nearby residents but said the wildfire remains active and to be “prepared and ready should further action need to be taken”
Helicopters with heat-seeking technology were used during the manhunt
Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris has said the firefighters were killed in a “total ambush” and “did not have a chance”
Another firefighter was injured and has just come of surgery, he told reporters
After a gunfight and standoff that lasted for hours, officials pinpointed a mobile phone signal and found an unidentified dead man near a firearm
There appears to only have been one shooter, who ran and fired from multiple different positions, the sheriff said after earlier suggesting that there may have been up to four attackers
Over 300 law enforcement officers and FBI agents were called to the scene, and police snipers searched the densely forested mountain in helicopters
Officials have not indicated how the man died, what sort of weapons were used, and whether he is believed to have acted alone.

(06:56) ‘Very rare’ incident

Sheriff Norris was asked if the attack could have been predicted.

“You can expect some of these things to occur in a urban setting but in a rural setting?” he said.

“This is very, very, very rare.”

(06:56) Public gather to honour fallen firefighters

Coeur d’Alene Fire have announced a procession from Coeur d’Alene to Spokane to honour the two local firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Members of the public have gathered on overpasses in North Idaho to show their respect, CBS News has reported.

(06:54) A man made 911 call to report fire, but can’t tell if he’s the shooter – sheriff

Police say a man made a 911 call to report the fire at Canfield Mountain – but did not identify himself as the shooter.

Law enforcement say they are unsure if the caller was the shooter.

(06:47) Third firefighter ‘fighting for his life’

Sheriff Norris confirms that two firefighters are dead.

A third has just come out of surgery and is in a stable condition but “fighting for his life”, Norris says.

(06:45) Sheriff believes there was only one shooter involved

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office say they believe there is only one shooter involved in the attack based on preliminary evidence.

The suspect was found after police received cell phone activation in an area and honed in on the signal.

That is where they found the man who appeared deceased with a weapon nearby.

(06:43) One shooter confirmed dead – sheriff

Kootenai County Emergency Management is giving a news conference about the shooting which left two firefighters dead on Sunday.

Sheriff Bob Norris says that one shooter is dead and he believes he acted alone and there is now no threat to the community.

(06:30) Idaho press conference to begin shortly

We will be livestreaming a press conference by the Kootenai County Sherrif’s Office, which is due to start shortly.

(06:17) As we wait for an official update, questions remain

We’re expecting a press conference with the Kootenai County Sherrif’s Office in less than 20 minutes, but in the meantime, here are some questions that remain unanswered.

How many suspects are involved in the shooting?
Are there more casualties?

How did the SWAT team find the deceased man on the mountain?
Are there still civilians trapped on Canfield Mountain?
How widespread is the active wildfire?

Stay with us as we bring you more details.

(05:58) Attacks on first responders are escalating in the US

Violence against first responders, including firefighters and paramedics, is disturbingly common in the US.

Earlier this month, medics treating a victim with a gunshot wound in Tulsa, Oklahoma, came under fire by a man who was later gunned down by officers.

“Violence against responders has been on the increase. We’ve had cases, you know, it kind of escalates at different levels,” Tulsa Fire Chief Michael Baker told KOTV-News, external.

He noted the death of an ambulance driver last month in Missouri, who was fatally stabbed by one of his patients.

In 2012, a high-profile case in Webster, New York, led to new gun laws after four firefighters were killed by a man who set his house on fire and then shot at firefighters.

(05:22) Idaho latest in string of US shootings

Gun violence in the US has remained a global talking point in 2025, with 190 mass shootings so far this year according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, external.

The year has been marked by high-profile gun crime, with the targeted shooting of politicians in Minnesota making headlines worldwide just weeks ago.

Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home on 14 June in the early hours of the morning.

Police allege that the same gunman also shot and injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife about an hour before.

In the month prior, two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead outside the Jewish museum in Washington DC. A Memorial Day shooting in Philadelphia left two dead and nine others injured, with two suspects aged 16 and 19, external arrested.

(05:04) Man with firearm nearby found dead by SWAT team, as ‘shelter in place’ warning is lifted

Members of a SWAT team (Special Weapons and Tactics Team) have found a deceased male on Canfield Mountain, according to a post from Kootenai County Emergency Management, external.

A firearm has also been found nearby.

The “shelter in place” notice was lifted at 03:50 BST, but there is “still an active wildfire”.

It urges residents to be “prepared and ready should further action need to be taken”.

(05:00) Agriculture secretary ‘praying for victims and their families’

We’ve just seen a brief statement released by a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet over the events in Idaho.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has posted on X , externalthat she has spoken to the state’s Governor, Brad Little, “about the horrific attack on firefighters” on US Forest Service land in Coeur d’Alene.

“We are praying for the victims and their families and will provide an update as more information becomes available,” she adds.

(04:56) No drones allowed above shooting site

Canfield Mountain, where the shooting took place, has been marked out as a no-fly zone by the Kootenai County Sheriff.

There is a “strict prohibition on drone use” according to a post on social media from the county’s emergency management team.

“Unauthorised aircraft or drones in the area pose a serious risk to firefighting and law enforcement officials” it says, in a document with Sheriff Robert B. Norris’s official stamp.

There is at least one shooter currently active in the area.

(04:37) Emergency services on the move as smoke billows

We have got some latest footage from the scene at Idaho.

It shows smoke pluming from a brush fire as emergency responders arrive at the scene at Canfield Mountain in the US state of Idaho. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris says authorities are prepared to “neutralise” the suspect or suspects as quickly as possible

(04:22) FBI is on the scene

The FBI’s “technical teams and tactical assets” are now on the scene in Idaho “providing support”, Deputy Director Dan Bongino has posted on X, external.

“It remains an active, and very dangerous scene,” he says.

(04:14) ‘At least one active shooter with a high-powered rifle on the mountain’

There is at least one active shooter with a high-powered rifle on the mountain, a law enforcement source has told CBS News.

The shooter – still believed to be actively shooting – is hidden with heavy brush and thick trees.

And it remains unclear if there are more shooters involved.

Helicopters in the air with heat seeking technology are up over the area trying to locate the shooter, CBS adds.

But they are experiencing difficulty due to the smoke from the ongoing wild fire, which firefighters were responding to.

There are also hikers on the mountain asked to shelter in place – they are also being detected by the heat devices.

And there is an additional problem: Daylight will soon run out when the sun sets.

(04:00) One firefighter in surgery and two dead – labour union

We’re now getting an update on the condition of a firefighter taken to hospital after the attack.

He is currently still in surgery.

“While responding to a fire earlier today in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, IAFF members were ambushed in a heinous act of violence,” the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) wrote on X.

“Two of our brothers were killed by a sniper, and a third brother remains in surgery.”

The IAFF is a labour union for firefighters and emergency medical workers in the US and Canada.

(03:47) In pictures: Security operation unfolds

First images are in from the scene of the deadly shooting and fire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Two firefighters were killed and police are hunting for at least one sniper.

Smoke can be seen rising from above woodland in the north of the state

Heavily armed law enforcement officers gather at Cherry Hill Park, after receiving reports of the shooting incident targeting firefighters

At least one armoured police vehicle has been deployed

A US Customs and Border Protection helicopter is also helping in the security operation

And other firefighters are on hand too, of course, on this grim day for their service

(03:37) Seattle’s firearms and explosives bureau on the scene

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) division says their Seattle-based special agents and fire investigators are responding to the shooting incident.

“ATF special agents and certified fire investigators from the Spokane, Portland, and Seattle offices are responding to the scene in Coeur d’Alene to provide support,” it says in a post on X.

The ATF investigates violations of federal law with regards to firearms, arson and explosives, often working with local police and fire departments, according to its website.

(03:30) 80-year-old resident: This has never happened here

Coeur d’Alene resident Linda Tiger, 80 said she is shocked by the shooting.

“This has never happened here,” says Mrs Tiger, who has lived in the city for nearly 30 years.

“But it goes to show that that no one is safe from this kind of mental sadness.”

She says she has been staying indoors as “all Coeur d’Alene is supposed to shelter in place, but I see people walking around because they haven’t heard the news”.

Coeur d’Alene is a city of around 56,000 people. It is near the border with Washington state.

(03:20) ‘Horrific reports out of Coeur d’Alene’

Mike Crapo, a senator for Idaho, says on X that he is “monitoring the horrific reports out of Coeur d’Alene”.

“I urge local residents to follow recommendations of law enforcement,” the Republican adds in the post, external.

“My prayers are with victims and first responders.”

Crapo’s fellow Idaho senator, Jim Risch, posts that he and his wife Vicki were monitoring events in Kootenai County.

“We pray for the safety of our brave first responders,” says Risch, also a Republican.

(03:16) At least one active shooter firing at police – Idaho officials

We’re hearing from local police that least one active shooter was firing at law enforcement with a high-powered rifle near the city of Coeur d’Alene.

“We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak,” said Sheriff Norris from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office in press conference a short while ago.

“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are.”

He adds that the suspect or suspects show “no sign of wanting to surrender”.

Idaho Governor Brad Little is warning people to stay clear of the area as law enforcement continues respond to the incident.

“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” he writes in a post on X.

(03:13) Two shot dead in Idaho as firefighters respond to brush fire

Two people have been fatally shot in a mountain community in the western US state of Idaho while responding to a brush fire, say officials.

Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Robert Norris says at least one active shooter was firing at law enforcement with a high-powered rifle near the city of Coeur d’Alene.

“If these individuals are not neutralised quickly, this is going to be a likely a multi-day operation,” says Norris, adding that officers had reported bullets coming from various directions. Residents have been asked to avoid the scene on Canfield Mountain.

Stay with us as we bring you current updates on the manhunt and investigation.

Idaho – Mazzaltov World News