Lone shooter dead after ambush on US firefighters in Idaho

US authorities said late Sunday that one shooter was found dead and is believed to have acted alone, after firefighters were ambushed while tackling a blaze in the northwestern state of Idaho.

"Based on preliminary information we believe that was the only shooter," Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris told a news conference, adding "there is no threat to the community at this time."

Earlier, Norris announced they found a "deceased male" on Canfield Mountain, the site of the ambush by gunmen of firefighters tackling a blaze.

"This evening, members of the SWAT team located a deceased male on Canfield mountain," said a statement from the sheriff department, adding that "a firearm was found nearby."

The statement added that the shelter in place order -- which was enacted during a standoff between authorities and an unknown number of gunmen -- "is being lifted."

Early Monday, two firemen were killed when firefighters tackling a blaze were ambushed in a standoff in the northwestern US state of Idaho on Sunday.

The blaze was still raging on the mountainside in Kootenai County as law enforcement exchanged gunfire with the shooter.

Serious gun violence is common across the United States, where many states have few barriers to the purchasing of firearms.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 189 mass shootings in the United States this year -- defined by the organization as incidents where at least four people are killed or wounded, other than the shooter.