Michael Carlson, a nearly 30-year veteran firefighter, started April 1 as Baker City Fire chief. (Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald)

Baker City Fire Chief Michael Carlson said a Sunday incident near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in which a man apparently set a fire to lure firefighters and then shot and killed two of them and critically wounded a third, is so unusual that he never considers such a situation when he responds to a fire.

“This is a rarity, but also a tragedy,” said Carlson, who started as Baker City fire chief on April 1 but has been a firefighter for nearly three decades.

Carlson said he has heard about similar incidents in which someone started a fire and then ambushed the firefighters who arrived.

But such cases are so unusual, he said, that he “usually doesn’t even think about it” while driving to a fire.

“I think about the job at hand,” Carlson said on Monday morning, June 30.

Carlson said the incidents he recalls hearing about involved fires started in homes or other structures.

The Idaho case was the first he is aware of when the blaze started in a recreation area.

Carlson said he doubts the shooting will prompt widespread changes in how fire agencies respond to blazes, unless there is a similar incident relatively soon.

Although Carlson has never been the target of an ambush, he said someone fired either a small-caliber firearm or pellet or BB gun at a fire truck he was driving to a blaze in Texas many years ago.

The shot left a small hole in the truck, he said.

The shooter was never identified, Carlson said.

He said that incident almost certainly was a spontaneous shooting rather than a premeditated attack as happened in Idaho.

After 22 years as a firefighter with the U.S. Army, Carlson worked for about 10 years as a firefighter in La Marque, Texas, a city about midway between Houston and Galveston, where he was promoted to interim chief.

Carlson worked as fire chief in Mosier, near The Dalles, for about a year before taking the Baker City job.

Umatilla County fire official urges firefighters to be vigilant

Scott Stanton, chief of the Umatilla County Fire District No. 1, said firefighters discussed Sunday’s attack during a shift briefing Monday morning at Pendleton Fire Station No. 1.

“Right now, the most important thing we can do is remind people to stay alert — keep your head on a swivel, maintain situational awareness and assess what you’re walking into,” Stanton said. “Use law enforcement when necessary, even before entering a scene. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Stanton said the threat of violence isn’t limited to remote areas and can happen anywhere, including in urban settings.

While secluded areas may pose unique risks, especially in regions where anti-government sentiment exists, he said crews must be prepared for danger at any scene.

“That’s the challenge — we don’t know how to fully prepare for every possibility,” he said. “We’re focused on getting to the fire, setting up, saving homes — but incidents like this remind us that we also need to think through these worst-case scenarios.”

Enterprise Fire Chief calls incident ‘heartbreaking’

Enterprise Fire Chief Paul Karvoski said that although arson fires have happened in Wallowa County, he doesn’t believe any has been set by a sniper.

“Not that I’m aware of. Thank God,” Karvoski said Monday. “It’s heartbreaking that when you go to fight a fire and someone shoots at you.”

“The world is getting crazy,” Karvoski said. “I’m going to have to bring my gun in the fire truck.”

Pendleton Fire Chief says future training will reflect Idaho incident

Pendleton Fire Chief Tony Pierotti said local fire officials met recently for a previously scheduled regional chiefs meeting, which became an opportunity to discuss the recent shooting involving a fire department and emphasized the importance of situational awareness in the fire service.

“We’re taking a wait-and-see approach until more information comes out about the motive,” Pierotti said, referring to the Idaho incident. “Situational awareness remains a priority. A lot of times, things aren’t what they seem, so we remind our crews to stay alert and aware of their surroundings.”

Pierotti said that Umatilla County Emergency Manager Sage DeLong organized an “active threat” training last year for law enforcement agencies. The session focused on incidents involving firearms, explosives or other violent threats.

A follow-up training is scheduled for July 22 and will include both firefighters and police. The joint training will prepare first responders to coordinate more effectively during active threat situations.

“There’s definitely active training going on right now across the county,” Pierotti said. “As these types of incidents — like school shootings or other violent events — become more common nationwide, the need for coordination between law enforcement and fire services grows.”

Pierotti noted that, until recently, firefighters were not often targeted in violent attacks.

“This is kind of a new thing,” he said. “Historically, there haven’t been many threats directed at fire personnel, but that may be changing.”

He cited an incident in Tucson, Arizona, on July 18, 2021 in which a man set his house on fire, killed someone inside and then opened fire on two paramedics and firefighters who responded to the scene.

“There have been scattered incidents, but nothing widespread,” Pierotti said. “Still, we need to be prepared.

“We will continue to train and adjust as needed,” he said. “We’ll apply best practices that emerge from the investigation in Idaho and pivot our training based on the lessons learned from that incident.”