According to CAL FIRE, six of the Golden State’s 20 largest blazes in history have occurred this year alone. The largest so far, called the August Complex Fire, has scorched more than 750,000 acres and was only 30 percent contained as of Monday.

Right now, the Pacific states look like something out of the Book of Revelations. You’ve seen the pictures — thousands of homes engulfed in flames and glowing red skies so thick with ash it makes Beijing’s air look pristine by comparison. Of course, the ultimate tragedy is at least 33 lives lost from these wildfires.

But where most Americans see tragedy, Democrats see a political opportunity. Former President Barack Obama tweeted this last week: “The fires across the West Coast are just the latest examples of the very real ways our changing climate is changing our communities. Protecting our planet is on the ballot. Vote like your life depends on it—because it does.”