Two Australian firefighters, on patrol with US Forest Service personnel in Washington state, have been set upon by hunters and shot at last month.

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

Donald Meyers, reporter with the Yakima Herald Republic, in Yakima, Washington told Ross and John it’s believed the incident back on August 23 was an accident.

“All the reports indicate they were mistakenly shot at, these two men were hunting a bear, the bear was wounded, they were going after it, firing in the direction of the bear which happened to be in the direction of a firefighting team,” he said.

“Donald were they hunting a bear not withstanding that there were fires in the area?” Ross asked.

“Yes they were,” he said.

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Donald said he could not find any evidence of anyone being charged over the incident.