Narrative:

I was flying to mev, nv, from vgt, nv. I had called reno FSS and obtained a recorded WX briefing. I did not talk to a briefer since the recording stated that there were no WX advisories and the sky conditions were clear. I was flying on a direct course of 300 degrees between beatty VOR and minden, nv, and was near silver peak, nv, when I noticed smoke rising from a mountain range to the right of my course. It appeared to be a small fire and I decided to fly over it in order to get an accurate fix on its location and report it to rno FSS. As I flew over it I noted vehicles in the vicinity and knew that firefighting auths were aware of the fire. I returned on course to my flight and made my regular call to reno radio for a PIREP when I was abeam of coaldale VOR. When I finished my report the specialist asked if I was aware of the NOTAM on the temporary restr area southeast of oal VOR due to firefighting activities. I advised I wasn't and she stated that she had attempted to give me the NOTAM information after my PIREP earlier at beatty VOR but I had already left the frequency. I advised her that I had flown over the fire in order to report it but observed vehicles on the ground and that obviously the fire had been reported. My failure was in not obtaining a complete briefing from FSS rather than simply listening to the recorded broadcast. I suggest, however, that a significant NOTAM such as this should be considered for inclusion in the recorded briefing on the route between reno and las vegas, since the fire was quite close to that route. I intend to obtain an in-person briefing in the future and not rely on the recording from now on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PVT PLT STRAYS INTO A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA AS HE TRIES TO VERIFY A FIRE IN THE REGION. HE HAD FAILED TO OBTAIN NOTAMS ALONG WITH WX BRIEFING.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING TO MEV, NV, FROM VGT, NV. I HAD CALLED RENO FSS AND OBTAINED A RECORDED WX BRIEFING. I DID NOT TALK TO A BRIEFER SINCE THE RECORDING STATED THAT THERE WERE NO WX ADVISORIES AND THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE CLR. I WAS FLYING ON A DIRECT COURSE OF 300 DEGS BTWN BEATTY VOR AND MINDEN, NV, AND WAS NEAR SILVER PEAK, NV, WHEN I NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM A MOUNTAIN RANGE TO THE R OF MY COURSE. IT APPEARED TO BE A SMALL FIRE AND I DECIDED TO FLY OVER IT IN ORDER TO GET AN ACCURATE FIX ON ITS LOCATION AND RPT IT TO RNO FSS. AS I FLEW OVER IT I NOTED VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY AND KNEW THAT FIREFIGHTING AUTHS WERE AWARE OF THE FIRE. I RETURNED ON COURSE TO MY FLT AND MADE MY REGULAR CALL TO RENO RADIO FOR A PIREP WHEN I WAS ABEAM OF COALDALE VOR. WHEN I FINISHED MY RPT THE SPECIALIST ASKED IF I WAS AWARE OF THE NOTAM ON THE TEMPORARY RESTR AREA SE OF OAL VOR DUE TO FIREFIGHTING ACTIVITIES. I ADVISED I WASN'T AND SHE STATED THAT SHE HAD ATTEMPTED TO GIVE ME THE NOTAM INFO AFTER MY PIREP EARLIER AT BEATTY VOR BUT I HAD ALREADY LEFT THE FREQ. I ADVISED HER THAT I HAD FLOWN OVER THE FIRE IN ORDER TO RPT IT BUT OBSERVED VEHICLES ON THE GND AND THAT OBVIOUSLY THE FIRE HAD BEEN RPTED. MY FAILURE WAS IN NOT OBTAINING A COMPLETE BRIEFING FROM FSS RATHER THAN SIMPLY LISTENING TO THE RECORDED BROADCAST. I SUGGEST, HOWEVER, THAT A SIGNIFICANT NOTAM SUCH AS THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION IN THE RECORDED BRIEFING ON THE RTE BTWN RENO AND LAS VEGAS, SINCE THE FIRE WAS QUITE CLOSE TO THAT RTE. I INTEND TO OBTAIN AN IN-PERSON BRIEFING IN THE FUTURE AND NOT RELY ON THE RECORDING FROM NOW ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.