BOISE, ID — Two firemen were killed and another injured Sunday after they were attacked by sniper fire while responding to a blaze in a northern Idaho mountain village. Crews faced a barrage of gunfire over many hours, which the governor described as a “heinous” assault.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office revoked the shelter-in-place order on Sunday night after a tactical response team discovered the body of a man with a pistol nearby. Officials did not divulge his identity or specify the type of firearms found.

Authorities planned to hold a news conference later Sunday to provide additional details.

Sheriff’s authorities said workers responded to a fire at Canfield Mountain, just north of Coeur d’Alene, around 1:30 p.m., and gunshots were heard about a half hour later.

Sheriff Bob Norris had stated that police were unsure how many individuals had been shot and that deputies were “actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”

According to Kootenai Health spokesperson Kim Anderson, three people were sent to the hospital. Anderson claimed that two were dead when they arrived, and the third was being treated for injuries. The wounded firefighter’s condition was unknown.

The situation was chaos as the brush fire raged and firefighters hurried to the area, only to come under heavy fire.

First responders called for assistance on their radios: “Everybody’s shot up here…” “Send law enforcement immediately,” according to one communication.

Gov. Brad Little reported that “multiple” firefighting personnel were attacked.

“This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters,” Little declared on X. “I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more.”

Norris claimed the sniper seemed to be lurking in the difficult terrain and wielding a powerful rifle. He stated that he instructed deputies to fire back.

“I’m hoping that somebody has a clear shot and is able to neutralize, because they’re not at this point in time showing any evidence of wanting to surrender,” the sheriff replied.

The Kootenai County Emergency Management Office issued a warning advising people to avoid the area surrounding Canfield Mountain Trailhead and Nettleton Gulch Road, which is approximately 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) north of downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The shelter-in-place order was withdrawn, but the sheriff’s office warned people to be prepared because the fire was still burning.

The FBI responded to the scene with technical teams and tactical backup, according to Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

The Idaho House Republican Leadership issued the following statement: “We are horrified by the murder of two firemen in Coeur d’Alene, and shocked by such a terrible attack on our first responders. We are praying for them, the injured, their families, and coworkers.

Coeur d’Alene is a city of 55,000 people located on the Washington state line. Canfield Mountain is a popular hiking and bicycling destination on the city’s outskirts, covered in trees and dense undergrowth and crisscrossed with routes leading into a national forest.

Fire is always a major issue in the region, according to Bruce Deming, whose property borders the trail system. When he saw smoke on the ridge Sunday afternoon, he wondered why no firefighting helicopters were dispatched.

When a buddy informed him about the shooting, he realized why he wasn’t seeing planes: “Because they’re afraid of being shot at,” he explained.

As deputies set up stations nearby, Deming directed them to a trail that begins near his backdoor and proceeds right to the fire.

“I just don’t want to have to wake up in the middle of the night to figure if somebody’s out prowling around my place,” he told me.