Audio of firefighter calling for help after two colleagues killed: 'Everybody's shot'

The harrowing audio of an Idaho firefighter's desperate call for police backup, after his colleagues were shot dead, has captured the terror in his voice as he urgently reports, 'Everybody's shot. '.

In a horrific turn of events, two firefighters tragically lost their lives and another was critically wounded when a sniper, cloaked in camouflage, attacked them during a wildfire response near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, at Canfield Mountain on early Sunday afternoon. They became targets upon responding to the blaze.

It has emerged that the assailant deliberately set the fire with the malicious intent to set up an ambush for the unsuspecting firefighters. Amidst the chaos, one firefighter made a distressing call to the police.

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"Hello, send law enforcement right now. There's an active shooter zone. They're shot. BC 3 is down, BC1 is down. Everybody's shot up here," voiced the surviving firefighter.

"These firefighters did not have a chance," Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris solemnly declared, according to Mirror US.

A member from the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department and another from the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue succumbed to their injuries while being transported to hospital. A third firefighter underwent surgery, was severely injured but clung to life, Norris confirmed.

As the wilfully-set Nettleton Gulch Fire continues to burn, two more lives have been claimed and another person has suffered injuries overnight. The firefighting team remains resolute in their efforts to tackle the fire, despite 'dealing with rough terrain,' as noted by the Idaho Department of Land.

Chilling photographs have emerged, capturing the terrifying moments as police quickly descended on the scene, imposing lockdowns on surrounding areas and frantically searching for the gunman.

Several hours after sniper shots were aimed at federal, state and local law enforcement, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s office confirmed that a 'deceased male has been found on Canfield Mountain,' believed to be the shooter.

The alleged assailant was named as Wess Roley, whose death was late Sunday night after a prolonged exchange of gunfire with the authorities. A gun was found by his body, as per reports from the police.

In a poignant show of unity, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho locals gathered with American flags to observe an "impromptu procession" of police and fire brigade vehicles honouring two firefighters lost in the line of duty battling blazes.

The deceased heroes were moved to Spokane, as Coeur d’Alene Fire Dept reported, while residents amassed on overpasses in North Idaho in a heartfelt tribute. The identities of the fallen firefighters remain undisclosed.

"We have two deaths and an unknown amount of casualties. We still have civilians coming off of that mountain. We might have civilians who are stuck or are in shock on that mountain," Norris previously mentioned.

"You can expect some of these things to occur in an urban setting but in a rural setting? This is very, very, very rare," Norris later remarked at the press conference.