Incident Overview

What happened:

On June 29, 2025, at about 2:00 p.m. PDT, firefighters responded to a brush fire in Nettleton Gulch on Canfield Mountain, north of Coeur d’Alene. Around 40 minutes later, the crew came under intentional gunfire: a man had deliberately set the fire as a trap to lure first responders, then ambushed them from a concealed position wftv.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15nypost.com+15.
Over a 5‑hour manhunt involving more than 300 officers and a shelter‑in‑place order, the suspect was located and found dead from an apparent self‑inflicted shotgun wound spectrumnews1.com+14en.wikipedia.org+14washingtonpost.com+14.

🎯 Victims

Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, of Kootenai County Fire & Rescue (17-year veteran, Army National Guard) and Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, of Coeur d’Alene Fire Department (28-year veteran), were both killed at the scene cdapress.com+4washingtonpost.com+4apnews.com+4.
Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, also of Coeur d’Alene, was critically injured and later underwent two surgeries; he is reported to be in stable condition people.com+10apnews.com+10nypost.com+10.

Identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley of Coeur d’Alene, a transient who had once aspired to be a firefighter and worked in tree services en.wikipedia.org+4washingtonpost.com+4apnews.com+4.
Roley started the fire using a flint striker, then fired a 12‑gauge shotgun (rifled slugs) at the firefighters; a .22‑caliber rifle was also recovered at the scene but not used en.wikipedia.org+1apnews.com+1.
He was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound later Sunday; investigators continue to explore motive, but no manifesto has been discovered thetimes.co.uk+2washingtonpost.com+2apnews.com+2.

The fire consumed approximately 26 acres by the morning of June 30. Suppression efforts were temporarily halted due to the active shooter situation wdsu.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7time.com+7.
Over 300 agencies—including local, state, FBI, ATF, and air assets—participated in the response. A temporary no-fly zone was established, and once the scene was secured, firefighting resumed en.wikipedia.org+1time.com+1.

Hundreds of residents lined Interstate 90 as a solemn procession of emergency vehicles transported the fallen firefighters’ bodies to Spokane khq.com+7washingtonpost.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7.
Governor Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho flags at half‑staff until after the memorial service and called the ambush a “heinous direct assault” on firefighters thesun.co.uk+10apnews.com+10en.wikipedia.org+10.
Local leaders—including the Coeur d’Alene City Council, North Idaho College, and the Red and Blue Foundation—pledged support, urging donations and mental‑health resources for first responders and families cdapress.com.

Time (PDT)	Event
~1:21 p.m.	First 911 report of brush fire
~2:00 p.m.	Firefighters arrived; gunfire erupts
3:15 p.m.	Authorities ping suspect’s phone
~7:40 p.m.	Suspect located; shelter‑in‑place lifted
Overnight → June 30 am	Fire grows; firefighters contain blaze

Motive remains unclear, though the arson‑to‑ambush tactic is chillingly deliberate, echoing a similar 2012 ambush in Webster, NY .
The incident intensifies concerns over growing attacks on first responders nationwide, prompting departments to reassess safety protocols wdsu.com+3time.com+3en.wikipedia.org+3.
Authorities are analyzing Roley’s digital history, firearm acquisition, and any ties to firefighting agencies to uncover motive nypost.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4thetimes.co.uk+4.