Firefighters Fatally Shot Responding to Brush Fire in Idaho
Two firefighters have been identified following their tragic deaths while responding to a brush fire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The victims, Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, age 42, and Battalion Chief John Morrison, age 52, were killed in an unprecedented attack.
A third firefighter, engineer Dave Tysdal, remains in critical condition. He successfully underwent two surgeries on Monday, as confirmed by fire officials during a recent news conference.
The incident unfolded when a man, later identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, intentionally set a wildfire. His intent was to attract first responders to the area, where he then opened fire from a vantage point atop Canfield Mountain, resulting in the deaths of the two firefighters.
Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Chief Christopher Way expressed the profound sorrow shared by the firefighting community and the families of the victims. He described the pain as “unimaginable.” Chief Way noted that Harwood served the department for 17 years and was also a respected former Army National Guard member. Harwood leaves behind his wife and two children.
“This loss is felt by so many, including all of the members of his shift that worked and saw the incident yesterday,” Way said.
Morrison had been a dedicated firefighter since 1996, serving the city of Coeur d’Alene for over 28 years. Way reflected on their conversations about personal growth, emphasizing the importance of being better fathers and leaders in their roles.
“We talked about being better fathers. We talked about being better leaders. We talked about being better firefighters,” he stated.
In the wake of this tragic event, local law enforcement agencies are now accompanying fire departments on all calls for safety. Chief Way acknowledged the challenges in restoring peace of mind after such a shocking incident.
“I don’t know that we’re ever going to be able to guarantee people’s peace of mind, at least for a while after an incident like this,” he said. “But we are taking every measure we can to ensure safety.”
