I have trouble listening to the news when the fires go off in Southern California. It drives me bat*crazy that none of the reporters get it right. Most of the wildfire are burning weeds, not clean native chaparral. The weeds burn like gasoline, that's why they are called flash fuels. The annual weedy grasses produce white smoke. Annual non-native weedy grasses, mustard, and thistles(which is what is covering a great deal of Southern California) gives off light brown or tawny smoke. Heavy brush gives off almost black smoke. A house fire gives off a mixture of white, blue, brown and black.
So, when you see a photo or video of the fires and the smoke is white, it's weedy grass burning.