The climbs on the TA in the West are long but generally are not super steep. Just be ready to do the long grinds. I remember the ones in the Appalachians and Ozarks actually being much harder, not as long, but crazy steep at times.
Fires, yeah, what indy said.
Also for me the smoke really sucks even when a long way off sometimes. I have gotten a little gun shy about trips in the west because of the smoke, but probably more because of my backpacking trips in the Sierras (and one ill fated on/off road tour in the Rockies) than because of my road tours.