SIX PLACE ACFT ON CHARTER FLT COMES IN CLOSE PROX TO AND POSSIBLY ENTERING A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA AROUND A FIRE. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING 6 PAX FROM WHITMORE; AZ (1Z1); TO MARBLE CANYON; AZ (L41); I FLEW MY ACFT TOO CLOSE TO A FOREST FIRE. AS I APCHED THE FIRE AREA; I REALIZED I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY ORIGINAL HDG DUE TO SMOKE FROM THE FIRE. I FLEW S TO PARALLEL THE SMOKE AND ASH; KEEPING A DISTANCE OF 5-10 MI ABEAM THE AREA. AS I APCHED THE EDGE OF THE SMOKE; I MONITORED THE APPROPRIATE FREQ OF 123.05. THIS IS THE FREQ ON WHICH THE FIRE BOMBERS COMMUNICATE WITH THE RECON ACFT. I HEARD THE BOMBER SAY HE WAS LEAVING THE AREA FOR APPROX 30 MINS. AS I SAW THE BOMBER FLY OFF; I CROSSED THE AREA ON THE S SIDE OF THE FIRE. I CLBED TO 10000 FT MSL TO AVOID ANY OTHER TFC. I AVOIDED THE SMOKE AREA BY PASSING ON THE UPWIND SIDE. AS I WAS LEAVING THE AREA; THE AIR RECON PLANE CALLED TO ME ON 123.05. I RESPONDED; HE DID NOT ANSWER. I THEN DECIDED TO CALL HIM; AND HE DID NOT RESPOND. HE THEN FLEW UP NEXT TO ME; AND THEN FLEW AWAY. I REALIZED THEN I HAD PROBABLY FLOWN TOO CLOSE TO THEIR OP. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED WITH FSS TO FIND OUT EXACTLY THE AIRSPACE THAT WAS INVOLVED.