PA28-180 ACFT ON XCOUNTRY FLT WITHOUT FLT PLAN ENTERED TEMPORARY RESTR AREA OF FIRE FIGHTING. WHEN IN COM WITH CTR CTLR RPTR WAS NOTIFIED OF FLYING IN THE AREA.

Narrative

I DEPARTED SALEM; OR; ON A RETURN FLT TO VNY. I CHKED WX FOR THE RTE; BUT FAILED TO CHK NOTAMS PRIOR TO DEPARTING. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING FROM CTR AND RECEIVED IT FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. I STOPPED AT VISALIA FOR FUEL AND THE TEMP WAS 104 DEGS ON THE GND. I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET AIRBORNE AGAIN AND DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO GET A BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTING. UPON REACHING A POINT JUST N OF GORMAN VOR; I COULD SEE THE SMOKE FROM A LARGE BRUSH FIRE S OF GORMAN VOR. AT THAT POINT I ASKED CTR IF THERE WAS ANY FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITY ON MY RTE OF FLT. I WAS INFORMED THAT A LOT WAS GOING ON IN FRONT OF ME. I INDICATED TO CTR THAT I WOULD DEVIATE TO THE W AND STAY OUT OF THE SMOKE. UPON TRAVELING SEVERAL MI W OF THE SMOKE; I SET A COURSE FOR THE FILLMORE VOR AND BEGAN A DSCNT OUT OF 9500 FT. WHEN I REACHED 6000 FT AT THE 8 MI FIX ON THE FILLMORE 355 DEG RADIAL I WAS HANDED OF TO SOCAL APCH. AT THAT POINT THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA. I WAS LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY WITH 'FLT FOLLOWING' AND FAILED TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FLT. THE GREATEST MISTAKE WAS NOT GETTING THE LATEST NOTAMS; SECOND WAS NOT REQUESTING MORE INFO FROM CTR WHEN THE CONDITIONS OF THE FLT CHANGED. AT THAT POINT CTR ADVISED ME TO STOP MY DSCNT AND CONTINUE TOWARDS VNY ON MY PRESENT COURSE.