Wildfire Smoke From California Reaches East Coast: The View From Space

Wildfire smoke from California is so extreme that it's reached the East Coast — here's what it looks like from space

The wildfires tearing through California have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres of land, destroyed thousands of structures, and forced evacuations across the state.

The Mendocino Complex Fire, currently burning in northern California, is the largest in the state's history. The Carr Fire is already the sixth-most destructive in the state's history, having claimed six lives and burned through thousands of structures around the city of Redding. 

Firefighters are working to contain the blazes. Though they've made progress since the fires were first ignited in July, air pollution from the smoke and burning embers is still a serious concern for California residents.

According to the National Weather Service, smoke from the fires has actually made it's way across the country - all the way to the East Coast. 

While these smoke particles are not harmful by the time they waft eastward, it's notable just how much smoke the fires in California and across the West Coast are producing.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured the fires last week.

In this image, you can see the smoke from the fires north of the San Francisco Bay Area.