CHP and Cal Fire increase staffing during Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend is known as the unofficial start of summer and as thousands make their way to the Central Coast, the Monterey Area California Highway Patrol will have extra officer on the roads.

“With the weather that we have here and the beginning of summer, people are going to be happy, people are going to be drinking, so make sure that you are responsible on the roads,” said Officer Nick Marzullo with the CHP.

The CHP said the department typically makes hundreds of DUI arrests over the holiday weekend, but this year they will also be making sure people buckle up.

“Half of the fatal collisions that happened during (last year’s) maximum enforcement were as the result of not wearing a seat belt,” said Marzullo.

Cal Fire is also adding resources. The San Benito-Monterey Unit has three additional engines and more than 30 extra staff through Memorial Day.

“The potential for increased incident activity elevates… what we want to do is make sure that we have extra resources in place so if something does happen, we can get on it quickly with a lot of personnel,” said Jonathan Pangburn Cal Fire Spokesman.

If you’re camping, Cal Fire issues this reminder: never leave a fire burning overnight or unwatched while cooking.

“You want to make sure that you have a campfire or any type of fire fully extinguished before you leave and that means it’s cold to the touch,” said Pangburn.