Investigators say Roley intentionally set the fire to ambush the fire crew on Sunday and was perched in a sniper position, firing at the firefighters, according to the AP. They took cover behind firetrucks, but two died and a third was wounded during a barrage of gunfire over several hours, authorities said.

Authorities identified the suspect as Wess Roley. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said it appeared he had been living in his car, and authorities did not know why he was in the area. Roley, who dreamed of becoming a firefighter himself, was found dead on the mountain from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.