Bravery Met with Gunfire — A Community Grieves as Heroes Fall
COEUR D’ALENE, IDAHO — What began as a call to protect life and land turned into an unspeakable nightmare on Sunday afternoon, when firefighters responding to a wildfire on Canfield Mountain were suddenly ambushed by gunfire, leaving **two fire personnel dead** and others fearing for their lives amid sniper fire from the mountainside.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, crews with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue were battling a growing blaze around 1:30 p.m. when an armed suspect opened fire on the responders. The terrifying attack unfolded near a residential area in **Coeur d’Alene**, turning a routine emergency into a war-like scene. At least two firefighters were killed in the ambush, and for hours, law enforcement and fire crews faced not only flames — but bullets.
Police confirmed that the suspect was later found dead on the mountain with a firearm nearby. While the shelter-in-place order has now been lifted, the mountain remains engulfed in active fire, and crews cannot safely re-enter to continue their firefighting efforts. A no-fly zone has also been declared to protect those still on the ground, with SWAT and tactical teams working under dangerous and volatile conditions.
But amid the smoke, flames, and chaos, the most profound loss lies in the lives taken — two brave public servants, heroes who ran toward danger, not away from it. Men or women who woke up on Sunday morning to do their jobs — to protect homes, forests, and families — and never returned home.
Their deaths are not just a tragedy — they are a gut-wrenching betrayal of the very ideals they stood for: courage, service, and sacrifice. No one expects to fight a fire and face gunfire. Yet they gave their lives doing what they loved — serving others.
Now, families are broken, departments are grieving, and an entire region is left stunned, trying to comprehend the horror of what has happened.
These were more than firefighters. They were sons, daughters, spouses, parents, friends. People who didn’t just put on a uniform — they carried a calling. And now, their lives have been taken by a senseless, cowardly act of violence that has shaken Coeur d’Alene to its core.
As the investigation unfolds and the community begins to process the devastation, one thing is certain: these heroes must never be forgotten. Their service, their bravery, and their sacrifice will echo through the mountains they died protecting.
To their loved ones: Your pain is shared. Your grief is ours. And we honor your fallen heroes with the deepest respect.
Rest in power, brave firefighters. Your watch is over — and your legacy will burn brighter than any flame.