The crew of the International Space Station photographed the wildfires ravaging southern California from its unique perspective 240 miles above Earth.
Smoke blocks out the late afternoon sun as fire crawls down a hill, threatening homes near Lakeside, Calif., Oct. 27, 2003.
A firefighter shoots water onto a hillside in Lakeside, Calif. where flames engulf brush, on the evening of Oct. 27, 2003.
Sara Day carries her cat named Simba out of the house as she and her family prepare to evacuate their home on Ardenwood Avenue in Simi Valley, Calif., Oct. 27, 2003, because of an approaching fire.
A police officer and fire fighters watch and provide structure protection as the hills east of Pleasant View Lane are back burned Oct. 27, 2003, in San Bernardino, Calif., while winds were low.
Firefighters work to protect two homes on a remote hillside in Bear Valley, south of Valley Center, Calif., Oct. 27, 2003. A state of emergency was declared in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties as the fires laid to waste entire blocks of homes, closed major highways and roads, shuttered some schools, disrupted air travel nationwide, and literally sent people running for their lives.
The remains of a burned-out home sits in the foreground as other homes untouched by the fire line the hillside in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego, Oct. 27, 2003.
Smoke from wildfires rises in the background, as heavy traffic on eastbound state highway 118 passes Oct. 27, 2003, in Simi Valley, Calif., 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The fire jumped the highway and came within yards of several homes before firefighters began to get the upper hand. Schools in the city were closed by the fire.
Firefighters cut brush, trying to steer a fire away from residential areas along Interstate 8 near Alpine, Calif., east of San Diego, where a wildfire continues to burn out of control Oct. 27, 2003.
Smoke rises from the Simi Valley wildfire as it advances towards Chatsworth after scorching more than 80,000 acres and destroying eight homes, damaging six others and threatening as many as 2,000, in suburban Simi Valley, Calif., 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Oct. 27, 2003. The plume of smoke from the Old Fire in San Bernardino, Calif., which was still threatening 24,000 homes, can be seen in the distance.
Firefighters battle a wildfire at Rocky Peak Park, Oct. 27, 2003, in Simi Valley, Calif. The 80,000-acre blaze came within yards of several homes.
Patty Redden, left, hugs her son, Jon, Oct. 27, 2003, after finding her cake topper from her wedding day in their San Bernardino, Calif. home, which was destroyed over the weekend by the Old Fire. The Corvette was the only car of several sports cars at the Redden home which did not get evacuated.
A crowd gathers to watch firefighters battle a blazing hill fire in Lakeside, Calif., on the evening of Oct. 27, 2003.
Los Angeles firefighters, Lorenzo Armstead, left, Mullen Martin, watch a fire at Rocky Peak Park, Oct. 27, 2003, in Simi Valley, Calif.
A message is painted on a wall near a home which was destroyed over the weekend by fire in San Bernardino, Calif.
The owner of this house, who wished not to be identified, uses a garden hose to help save of his belongings from a wildfire in Devore, Calif., Oct. 27, 2003.
Don Halte points to his destroyed home in the Crest area of San Diego Oct. 27, 2003. This is the second time Halte has lost a home to wildfires. Wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes in San Diego County.
Bob Smullen looks over his destroyed home in San Bernardino Calif., Oct. 27, 2003, after a wildfire moved through the area.
An unidentified man watches a wildfire burn on a neighboring hill in Lakeside, Calif., on the night of Oct. 27, 2003.
South Pasadena firefighter Kris Saxon, catches a moment of rest between battles with wildfires Oct. 27, 2003, in Simi Valley, Calif.