A KITFOX 4 PLT DEPARTED VFR AN INCOMPLETE PREFLT BRIEFING AND ENTERED A FIREFIGHTING TFR.

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ON JUL/MON/06 AT APPROX XA00; A PAX AND I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT. THE WX WAS VFR WITH BROKEN TO SCATTERED CLOUDS AT APPROX 4500 FT MSL. I CHKED THE AWOS BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A WX BRIEFING. WE FLEW TO THE W TO LOOK AT THE MOUNTAINS AND THEN DECIDED TO FLY OVER THE LAKE. WE WERE OVER THE LAKE AT APPROX XA30; SIGHTSEEING WHEN I SAW A LARGE HELI (TYPE UNKNOWN) FLYING LOW OVER THE SURFACE OF THE LAKE APPROX 2 SM AWAY FROM US. THERE WAS ALSO A SINGLE ENG RETRACTABLE GEAR CESSNA IN THE AREA NEAR THE HELI. I OBSERVED THE HELI SCOOP UP SOME OF THE WATER FROM THE LAKE IN A BUCKET HANGING BENEATH THE HELI. I REALIZED THAT THIS MUST BE A FIREFIGHTING OP AND THAT THERE MUST BE A TFR AROUND THE AREA. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AWAY FROM THE HELI AND CESSNA TO LEAVE THE AREA. A COUPLE MINS LATER; I SAW THE CESSNA PASS US ON OUR L ABOUT 200 FT AWAY HORIZONTALLY AND ABOUT 50 FT ABOVE US; POSSIBLY TO RECORD MY TAIL NUMBER. THE CESSNA THEN MADE A CLBING R TURN IN FRONT AND ABOVE US. I THEN TUNED MY RADIO TO 121.5 BUT I HEARD NO CALLS. WE CONTINUED TO VACATE THE AREA; AND MONITORED 121.5. WHEN I RETURNED HOME; I WENT TO DUATS.COM TO CHK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A TFR OVER THE AREA AND; IN FACT; THERE WAS. I REALIZE THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF 91.137 AND THAT THIS WAS DUE TO ME NOT RECEIVING A PROPER PREFLT BRIEFING. PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS WAS THE FACT THAT WHEN I TOOK OFF; I WASN'T SURE WHERE THE FLT WOULD BE GOING; RATHER WE JUST WENT FOR AN UNPLANNED SCENIC FLT. IN THE FUTURE; TO PREVENT SUCH AN INCIDENT AND TO ENSURE THAT I DON'T VIOLATE 91.103; I WILL ALWAYS RECEIVE A PREFLT BRIEFING EVEN FOR LCL FLTS. I WILL ALSO PLAN ALL MY FLTS; INCLUDING SCENIC ONES; AND GET A BRIEFING FOR ALL AREAS WHERE I MAY FLY ON THAT FLT. FOR LONGER FLTS; I WILL CHK FOR ANY POSSIBLE TFR'S AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO WHILE INFLT. WHEN THE FLT PERMITS I WILL ALSO USE RADAR ADVISORIES. WHEN I AM NOT TALKING TO ATC OR APCHING AN ARPT; I WILL ALWAYS MONITOR 121.5 TO AVOID FURTHER CONFLICTS AND IN ORDER TO RENDER ASSISTANCE IF THE NEED SHOULD ARISE.