A pilot rescued with two young family members after they survived a night on the wing of an airplane partially submerged in a Kenai Peninsula lake is a student pilot who was not authorized to fly with passengers, according to a U.S. official and federal aviation records.

Two small wildfires on the Kenai Peninsula have been reported and quickly contained as the region enters an early fire season. Burn permits are now required on all state, private, and municipal lands due to early warm temperatures and low snowpack.

Area biologists recommend securing attractants as warmer weather leads to earlier bear activity on the Kenai Peninsula, prompting calls for caution among residents.