Australian firefighters shot at while battling US wildfire

Authored by theage.com.au and submitted by drunkill
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Two Australian firefighters, on patrol with US Forest Service personnel in Washington state, were set upon by hunters, chased and shot at in an incident which has reached officials within the Foreign Affairs Department.

The incident, which took place on August 23, shook Australia's support operation in the northwest of the United States and led to demands for local fire services to upgrade security and guarantee the safety of the crew.

Nearly 80 Australian firefighters have been working with the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in northern California, Oregon and Washington since July, and were dispatched to the popular White Pass ski destination in August after fire spread across an eight square kilometre area.

RFS firefighter Daniel Barwick, third from left, with colleagues in Washington state. Photo: Facebook

The incident, which involved two Australians and two local officers, led to the arrest of the two hunters.

They were issued Violation Notices by USDA Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers for violation of the closure order. Further charges are pending.

IrishRepoMan on September 10th, 2018 at 17:27 UTC »

What? Who would shoot at firefighters?

FuckCazadors on September 10th, 2018 at 16:20 UTC »

What kind of cunt shoots at firemen? The same sort who throw bricks at paramedics I suppose. Some people don't deserve the care they get.

drunkill on September 10th, 2018 at 15:01 UTC »

This happened August 23rd in Washington state , FBI have since arrested and charged the two hunters.

The incident, which involved two Australians and two local officers, led to the arrest of the two hunters.

Fairfax Media understands they have been charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The remote area, 160 kilometres from Seattle, is close to land in Oregon where armed anti-government activists seized and occupied the wildlife refuge headquarters for more than a month. [in 2016]

...

Fairfax Media has been told the hunters pursued the four across a ridge, despite being warned they were in a restricted area and should leave.

One of the local officers is understood to have used his phone to record a last message to his family, so concerned was he about the two hunters in pursuit.

However, all four managed to find cover and were later safely airlifted out of the area.