‘This was a total ambush’: Idaho Sheriff says murdered firefighters ‘did not have a chance’

Two firefighters were killed in a terrible attack, and a third was badly hurt in a planned ambush on Sunday in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. A suspect, Wess Roley, purposely started a brush fire to draw first responders to the scene. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said the firefighters “did not have a chance” against what he called a sniper attack. The incident happened on Canfield Mountain, a well-known area for outdoor activities.

Emergency services got a call about a fire on the east side of Canfield Mountain at 1:21 PM. Fire crews from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department arrived to fight the fire, which was later named the Nettleton Gulch Fire. According to NBC News, About 39 minutes after the first fire report, at 2:00 PM, firefighters reported that someone was shooting at them. The situation quickly turned into an active shooter event, with responders coming under sniper fire.

Over the next hour and a half, a large number of law enforcement officers rushed to Canfield Mountain. Around 300 officers from different agencies, including the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the FBI, and nearby Idaho counties, worked to stop the threat. Officers shot at the suspect during this intense time.

Firefighters had no hope of escaping the gunfire

The rough and steep land, along with fallen trees and smoke from the growing fire, made it hard to find the shooter. The Nettleton Gulch Fire, which officials think was set on purpose to create the ambush, grew from 15 to 20 acres to 26 acres overnight. Firefighters could not fight the fire until the area was safe because the gunman was still loose.

Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said, “We do believe … that the suspect started the fire, and we do believe that it was an ambush, and it was intentional. This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance.”

By about 6:30 PM, authorities at a command post meeting were told that the situation was still an active shooter event and that the suspect needed to be stopped as soon as possible. Law enforcement tracked a cell phone signal that had stayed in the same spot since 3:16 PM. Around 7:40 PM, officials learned the suspect was dead. When they reached the location, investigators found a dead man with a weapon nearby.

The suspect is believed to have acted alone in this planned attack. Sheriff Norris said that based on early findings and the types of guns found, it is very likely there was only one shooter. The suspect’s name has not been shared publicly. Because the fire was getting close, the suspect’s body had to be moved fast, which made it harder to keep the crime scene untouched. Authorities expect to find more weapons on the mountain once the fire danger is gone and a full search can happen.

While this does not have a happy ending like the woman who was looking for the firefighter husband or Glen Powell’s next movie about firefighters, at least one person may survive the shootings. The two firefighters who died, whose names are being kept private until their families are told, included one from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and one from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. As reported by CNN, the third injured firefighter, also from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, is in stable condition but still in serious condition.