California continues to face devastating fires this year, which NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy has been monitoring from his outpost on the International Space Station.
Cassidy's six-month stay in orbit, which will end later this month, has been marked by countless images of West Coast blazes and smoke billowing across the country. He shared his three most recent photographs on Oct. 1 on Twitter.
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"It is hard to even imagine the destruction of the California fires," Cassidy wrote with the images. "Thinking of all the families and communities who are still dealing with this catastrophic state of emergency. #ThankYou to all of the fire fighters working around the clock to save as much as possible."
According to California's fire agency, more than 17,000 people are working to contain 24 major blazes burning as of Oct. 1. The 2020 fire season has been particularly severe and has killed 30 people, with more than 8,000 fires burning nearly 4 million acres (16,000 square kilometers), according to the agency.
It is hard to even imagine the destruction of the California fires. Thinking of all the families and communities who are still dealing with this catastrophic state of emergency. #ThankYou to all of the fire fighters working around the clock to save as much as possible. pic.twitter.com/yRE1MbnkvMOctober 1, 2020
September and October are typically the worst months for fires in California. The fires are not directly caused by climate change, but the global phenomenon creates conditions that encourage more and more dramatic fires: higher temperatures, lower humidity and reduced snowpack from the previous winter.
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