A red and white plane flies across the upper left of the image releasing a swirling red and orange trail that stretches toward the right. Below the trail, black silhouettes of burning trees appear on hills at the bottom. Large white text on the left reads THE NEW STATE BIRD. On the right side, additional text lists OF CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, UTAH, NEVADA, MONTANA, IDAHO, WYOMING ETC.

The image was published on August 18, 2016, during a period of intense wildfire activity across the western United States. Multiple states experienced significant fires linked to ongoing drought. The cartoon connects the plane's trail directly to the spread of fire across state lines.

The composition places the plane above the landscape with the trail dominating the center. The listed states match regions that faced elevated fire risk that summer. The label new state bird frames the fire trail as a recurring symbol for the affected areas.