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 north-west of the United States and led to demands for local fire services to upgrade security and guarantee the safety of the crew.

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

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.

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