Imagine a vacation in Alaska: snow, cold weather, animals, trees, an enormous green forest. Well, this vacation isn’t possible. The Alaskan snow is melting, and temperatures have increased. Between Jun. 21 and Aug. 18, the lowest temperature did not drop below 50 degrees, the second-longest stretch on record. Alaska is having forest fires because of the hot temperatures. The Swan Lake in Central Alaska is on fire right now. The fire has burned 163,714 Acres by Sept. 10, including parks and forest. The fire closes the communication between cities in Alaska, which make evacuation harder for more people. The fire is currently only 37% contained. More than 700 firefighters are trying to stop this fire. Temperatures are increased in the whole country as an effect of global warming.

Senior Elisa Offer, a member of the Green Hornets club, spoke about her feelings on the Alaskan fire. “Even though the fire was originally caused by a lightning strike, the Swan Lake forest fire is ultimately a result of human-caused climate change,” said Offer.

Climate change has been a hot-button issue due to the increasing levels of fires across the country.

“The state’s overall temperature has been rising as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and human negligence,” stated Offer.

A priority of many environmentalists is creating and fostering habits that can combat climate change.

“Through decreasing our pollution, we ultimately decrease our rising temperatures and contribute to the battle against climate change,” said Offer.