SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — “Smoke could be seen for miles” is a common element of news stories related to fire season. However, for the Northstate, that smoke is a controlled burn to reduce overgrown vegetation in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Around the same time that the burn occurred, Cal Fire performed aerial training with forest service personnel in Tehama County. In Butte County, they’re enacting an award-winning approach to emergency evacuations, especially in high-risk zones.