NASA releases image of 'fire scar' left on North Bay after wildfires

In this NASA image, fire damage from October 2017 wildfires is seen from NASA's Terra Satellite. (NASA) In this NASA image, fire damage from October 2017 wildfires is seen from NASA's Terra Satellite. (NASA) Photo: NASA Photo: NASA Image 1 of / 149 Caption Close NASA releases image of 'fire scar' left on North Bay after wildfires 1 / 149 Back to Gallery

As Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Solano counties begin the healing process after the deadly wildfires that struck the region earlier this month, NASA has released a clear image of just how much land was lost to the flames.

"NASA's Terra satellite shows the growing fire scar on the landscape. In this ASTER image, acquired Oct. 21, 2017, vegetation is red, while burned areas appear dark gray," the space agency wrote in an online posting. "The image covers an area of 38 by 39 miles."

The image was created using the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), which is also used to track glacial movement, crop degradation and other environmental changes to the landscape.

Though interactive maps - like this one produced by The San Francisco Chronicle - provide detailed information on where fires started, what they burned and where they claimed lives, the NASA image provides a step-back look at where the fires left a lasting mark on one of the country's most picturesque regions.

As of Monday, the Tubbs and Pocket fires in Sonoma County, combined with the Nuns fire, which straddled the Napa County line, had combined to burn 110,720 acres since Oct. 8. At least 42 people were killed as more than a dozen significant fires broke out in Northern California, forcing widespread evacuations and destroying 8,400 structures.