At least two firefighters were killed by snipers while fighting a wildfire in the US.

At least two firefighters have died and an unknown number have been injured in recent hours in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho , after being shot by a sniper while trying to extinguish a wildfire. Hours later, the shooter was found dead next to a firearm on Mount Canfield.

He is also believed to be the only person who attacked the firefighters, according to Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris, in statements reported by NBC. The shooter's body was found by a SWAT team after locating a cell phone signal next to a body "with a gun nearby."

"Based on preliminary information, we believe he was the only shooter on the mountain at the time," he said. "It was an ambush . These firefighters didn't stand a chance."

The shooter faced off against nearly 300 agents in a shootout that also involved two helicopters with snipers on board, according to Norris, who thanked the FBI for its assistance, which offered its "tactical and operational support," according to X, published by its deputy director, Dan Bongino.

The North Idaho Lakes Fire District has assured NBC that the fire, which has so far burned about 20 acres, was not an accident.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed her gratitude to the "incredible" FBI members "on the ground assisting local law enforcement in Idaho," while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department is "actively monitoring" what is happening in Coeur d'Alene and that "justice will be served."

Idaho Governor Brad Little said he was "heartbroken" by what he called a "direct and heinous attack" in a social media post, asking everyone in the state to "pray for" the firefighters and their loved ones.

The shooting began around 2:00 p.m. local time, 11:00 p.m. CEST, about half an hour after the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management began responding to a wildfire on Canfield Mountain, a wilderness park in eastern Coeur d'Alene.