Two firefighters killed in Idaho shooting
They were in a spot "with heavy brush and are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," Norris said.
Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai county sheriff's Lt Jeff Howard told ABC News.
Department of homeland security secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the Idaho shooting, ABC News reported.
Video footage from the scene had earlier showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital.
"FBI technical teams and tactical assets are at the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X.
"It remains an active and very dangerous scene."
Firefighters received the first call of a blaze at about 1.21pm, Norris said, and about 40 minutes later reports emerged that they were being shot at.
"This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho governor Brad Little said on X.
"I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more."
Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms".
Deaths related to gun violence are common and 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US., according to the most recent available data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
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