Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene shooting: Did shooters set fire intentionally to ambush firefighters?

Firefighters responding to a blaze near Canfield Mountain in northern Idaho, America, were shot, leading to an active shooting incident. At least two people believed to be fire officials have been killed.

The sheriff of the area has been quoted as saying that the blaze still rages on in the mountainside in Kootenai County, a popular park and hiking area.

But what do we know of the fire? What about the shooter? How are authorities dealing with the ongoing situation? We find out.

What exactly is going on near Canfield Mountain?

On Sunday, around 1.30 pm local time, emergency crews reached Canfield Mountain in Kootenai County after receiving calls about a brush fire. An hour later, gunshots were reported from the scene of the blaze with officials noting that two people had died and others were injured.

Shortly after that, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert stating: “Active shooter at Canfield Mountain. Injuries are reported, but the extent is unknown. Avoid the area.”

Shock and panic unfolded as reports emerged of the shooting in the Coeur d’Alene area with one resident, identified as Linda Tiger, telling BBC, “This has never happened here. “But it goes to show that that no one is safe from this kind of mental sadness.”

The sheriff, Robert Norris, in a press conference, said, “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak. We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how many casualties there are.”

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

A livescanner audio, covering the personnel’s response at the scene, has surfaced in which one officer can be heard saying, “Right now there’s an active shooter zone….Everybody’s shot up here!”

The audio clip provides insight into the chaos that unfurled while the firefighters were trying to put out the blaze.

Was the blaze set intentionally to ambush firefighters?

As authorities contend with the shooter or shooters and the ongoing blaze, questions were being asked if the fire was set off intentionally to lure the firefighters to the spot.

And police and other officials have stated that the fire, was in fact, no accident. Officials from Idaho’s Northern Lakes Fire District were quoted as saying that firefighters responded to an intentionally set fire before being shot at, they said, adding that the “ambush” accurately describes what happened to those first at the scene.

How many shooters are at the scene? What’s the motive?

At the press conference, when asked how many shooters were involved in the incident, Sheriff Norris said, “We don’t know if there is one, two, three or four. We just don’t know.”

He further added that the shooter or shooters were using high-powered “modern-day sporting rifles.”

The sheriff also emphasised that the current goal was to track the assailant or assailants down and shoot on sight. “As soon as somebody has a clear shot, I encourage them to take that shot to neutralise the threat,” said the sheriff.

According to Norris, the suspects were not barricaded in a building but were hiding in “heavy brush” and “blending into their surroundings”. He added that the assailants were “well prepared”.

However, hours later, a man was found dead on Canfield Mountain with a firearm nearby. Though the man was not identified as a shooter, the discovery prompted authorities to lift a shelter in place order for those nearby.

How are authorities responding to the shooting?

Following reports of the shooting, Idaho Governor Brad Little called the act “a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters.” He said he was “heartbroken” by the attack in a post on Facebook.

Senator Jim Risch, who represents Idaho, decried Sunday’s “villainous attack” in a post on X. He said that he and his wife “join all Idahoans in mourning the heroic first responders murdered and others injured in the line of duty in Kootenai County.”

US Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also added that the agency was “actively monitoring” the situation in Couer d’Alene. “Pray for Idaho’s first responders,” she wrote. “Justice will be served.”

How has the shooting led to multiple theories online?

Even as authorities contend with the ongoing shooting situation and the blaze raging, netizens began to speculate the reason for the incident.

Some netizens began to link the shooting with Travis Decker, a former US soldier wanted in connection with the deaths of his three daughters. “Where is Travis Decker?” several users posted, while others asked, “Is this Travis Decker?” and “Could this be Travis Decker?” Despite the speculation, authorities have not provided any evidence linking Decker to the incident.

Thirty-two-year-old Decker has been missing since June 2. His truck and the bodies of his daughters, Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker, were found near Leavenworth, Washington. Law enforcement agencies have conducted an extensive search but have been unable to locate him.

What about the fire at Canfield Mountain?

The fire on Canfield Mountain continues to rage with Kootenai County Emergency Management urging residents to be prepared in case “the situation escalates.”

Earlier, the deputy fire chief had said that resources would not be dedicated to fighting the wildfire until the threat from an active shooter or shooters was “neutralised.”

With inputs from agencies