The northernmost reaches of the Earth are on fire. Here’s what this record-breaking hot summer looks like from space. (Source Business Insider)

July was the hottest month ever on record. This summer, vast areas of the Arctic were engulfed in flames. Satellite images showed plumes of smoke engulfing parts of Russia, Greenland, and Alaska.

These wildfires can be linked to the warmer temperatures and drier conditions that climate change brings.   

The Arctic is known for its icy expanses, frozen tundra, and massive floating glaciers. Not blazing wildfires. But in the midst of a record-breaking summer, the Arctic is burning. Last month, megafires razed the northernmost parts of Russia and Greenland. In Alaska, meanwhile, 2.4 million acres of forest have burned this year. In June and July, plumes from the Swan Lake fire engulfed Anchorage. Amid the smoke on July 4, the city experienced its hottest day in recorded history: 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).

These blazes were big enough to be seen from space: On July 24, colossal pillars of smoke were visible above Russia, Alaska, and Greenland simultaneously. As of today, parts of British Columbia, Canada and Alaska are still burning, while more than 13.5 million acres of Siberia are ablaze.