A pair of Washington hunters are now in custody after shooting live rounds at four hotshots who were battling a blaze near White Pass Ski Area back in August.
According to the Australian news outlet The Age, the hunters chased the firefighters, which included two Australian nationals, across a nearby ridge. The two Aussies were helping to assist US authorities with fire suppression efforts when the hunters opened fire on their location. Luckily they called for help and were able to escape the shooters via helicopter.
Officers with the FBI later arrested the hunters in question. One of the Aussie hotshots, Daniel Barwick is a decorated firefighter who played a pivotal role in stamping out a massive wildfire outside of Canberra, Australia previously.
Conflicts between far right conservative groups and federal agencies have flared in the PNW since 2014, when the Bundy family decided to stake cattle claims on federally owned BLM land using firearms. The ensuing standoff lasted for almost two years before federal authorities took members of the Bundy group into custody in 2016.
Find the entire Fairfax Media article here:Â Australian firefighters shot at while battling US wildfire