Tyler McVicker doesn’t know shit about fuck. He’s “leaked” the release date of the Frame several times now and been completely wrong. I really don’t think it’s fair to call him a “Valve insider” at this point, or to write articles weighting his speculations over anyone else’s.
Not everything you’re seeing in the photo is a wildfire. The consolidated puffy white clumps are just ordinary clouds. The wildfire smoke is the gray, streaky haze underneath. You can see the darker area of burnt ground and the fires themselves at the edges of that area.
It does kinda look like a cafeteria tray, though.
FYI, if you ever find yourself able to host your own server, it is possible to download your world from the realm and host it yourself without the monthly fees. It’s nice to have the peace of mind that the data is in your own hands.