Last Flights Before the Weather

Apr. 23, 2026

In the coming days, California’s mountains are getting rain and snow. The flight grid was back this afternoon, following a crisp and high OR morning. Some last flights need to get through before the atmosphere is too high in OR.

This helicopter, perhaps from the US Forest Service flew low overhead in the morning and afternoon. We had a small fire locally, but there was also a US Forest Service prescribed burn in Green Valley today.

Suddenly, after all these years of not alerting the public to prescribed burns, Cal Fire has them posted on their incident map. The green fire emblem means a prescribed burn, and they are happening all over California. The only fires showing up on the map today are prescribed burns.

For years, Cal Fire and the US Forest Service failed to report prescribed burns by the USFS, and made the public believe these were all real wlldfires, caused by “climate change.” Could my reporting calling them out on this practice over the years have had this impact, making the USFS somewhat accountable? Maybe too many people have figured out these are intentional burns and they can no longer make everyone believe the earth just combusts on a hot day.

It’s encouraging that the prescribed burns are now being more honestly reported. Hopefully this will make those setting them more accountable. We still need to be aware that they may set them. not disclose it, and play them off as wildfires. At least we have significant rain coming, and it will take care of most of the places where these burns are currently taking place.

More images at: thechembow.tumblr.com/p…