This photo shows the alarming scale of California's wildfires

California wildfires from space.
(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory.)

Devastating wildfires are raging across Northern California, consuming nearly 170,000 acres and at least 3,500 structures. Twenty-two separate blazes have combined to scorch the region, resulting in 23 deaths so far.

This startling satellite image shared by former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield shows just how massive the wildfires' reach has been:

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Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.