Several firefighters were shot while responding to a wildfire in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, according to Northern Lakes Fire Protection Chief Pat Riley, CNN reported.

The incident began amid reports of a wildfire on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d'Alene, near the state line Washington. Residents reported a large police response, with several nearby agencies responding to the scene.

Residents in the area reported hearing dozens of gunshots. According to initial reports, the unidentified shooter started the fire as bait for first responders in Coeur d'Alene and began shooting when they arrived on scene. Residents were asked to avoid the area surrounding Canfield Mountain, noting that fire crews were forced to retreat and the brush fire remains an active threat. Kootenai County Emergency Management also urged those in the area to shelter in place. Authorities in Spokane, Washington, are now heading south to assist with what they described on social media as an “active and ongoing incident” on East Nettleton Gulch Road. "It was reported that firefighters were being shot at. We now have two fatalities. We have an unknown number of injuries. We also have civilians that are coming down the mountain, also possibly civilians that are trapped or in shock. This is a very fresh situation," the sheriff said in a statement. to press conference.

So far, the motive for the attack is unknown, but local press reports an alleged ambush.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reported on his social networks that bureau agents “are heading to the scene in Cour d'Alene to provide tactical and operational support.”

Idaho Governor Brad Little confirmed that “several heroic firefighters suffered an attack while responding to a fire” in the north of the state, near the Canadian border.

"This is a heinous, direct attack on our brave firefighters. I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more," he said on X.

The United States has recorded at least 189 mass shootings, in which at least four people are shot other than the shooter, so far in 2025, according to the civilian organization Gun Violence Archive.

The Coeur d'Alene National Forest is a national forest in the Idaho Panhandle. Along with the Kaniksu and St. Joe national forests, it is part of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The forest is located in Shoshone, Kootenai, and Bonner counties and covers an area of ??726,362 acres.