Alaska sees slowest start to wildfire season in decades

Plus: Source of University Lake oil spill in Anchorage remains unknown as cleanup continues ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Today's sponsor: [Today's Sponsor: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities]( Support independent reporting on what Alaskans care about most. [Subscribe today.]( Good afternoon. It’s Friday, June 30. In today's newsletter: - Officials with the state said they still haven't identified [the source of an oil spill polluting a lake]( at a popular Anchorage dog park as cleanup efforts continued this week. - Alaska is off to its [slowest wildfire season start]( in three decades, just one year after fires scorched thousands of square miles of land and threatened several rural villages. - Alaskans are having a harder time accessing child care now than they were five years ago, an expert told [a new state task force charged with developing a plan]( to make child care more available and affordable. With the Fourth of July holiday coming up early next week, this weekend in Anchorage is relatively quiet on the events front, but there's still a good lineup of things to do. Sit back with some Jazz in the Park, learn to salsa dance or celebrate 10 years of Blackwater Railroad Company with an outdoor show downtown. Find a full rundown of events [here](. Anchorage weather It's partly sunny today with a high near 64 degrees. We'll see more of the same on Saturday, and Sunday will be mostly sunny. Rain returns to the forecast on Monday. Daytime temperatures will hover in the mid- to high 60s over the weekend. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Source of University Lake oil spill in Anchorage remains unknown as cleanup continues →]( The city closed University Lake Park on Wednesday as the size of the sheen on the lake appeared to grow. It’s challenging to tell exactly how much oil was spilled because the source is unknown, a state Department of Environmental Conservation official said. ADVERTISEMENT [Slow start to Alaska wildfire season a relief after huge area burned last year →]( Last year’s fires consumed 4,844 square miles of land. This season’s favorable weather is thanks to an upper level trough of low pressure over the Bering Sea and Western Alaska that's bringing cooler air and encouraging the arrival of moisture. [New task force faces bleak reality of Alaska’s overwhelmed child care system and desperate parents →]( The group has until the end of December to deliver an initial plan to address the state’s child care challenges. At stake is the welfare of the state’s families — and its economy. (via Alaska Beacon) [Quick bites in Anchorage: Satisfying smash burgers, considerable cheesesteaks and a bounty of birria →]( Here are three savory spots to consider the next time you’re looking for a beefy bite in Anchorage. [Anchorage’s Lael Wilcox overcomes health scare and brutal weather to win endurance bike race →]( Anchorage’s Lael Wilcox, a 36-year-old endurance cyclist, won the Tour Divide women’s race on her fifth attempt and has her sights set on a bikepacking triple crown. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Supreme Court strikes down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program →]( [Aniak residents shocked by quadrupling of power bills have their say before Regulatory Commission of Alaska →]( [Law enforcement shoot and kill Interior Alaska man during standoff, troopers say →]( [Seward’s Lydia Jacoby finishes 2nd in 50-meter breaststroke at national championships →]( [Recipe: ‘Rhubarbecue’ chicken highlights the fresh flavors of summer →]( [‘Teaming With Microbes’ gardening podcast: Winds of growth: perennials vs. annuals →]( The ADN relies on readers like you. [Get digital access to the ADN for as low as $1.99 for the first month]( and help us cover the news that matters most here in Alaska. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States