Monday is Memorial Day, which is the unofficial start to summer and one of the biggest outdoor holidays of the year.

However, with all of that comes many safety hazards. One of those hazards is campfires getting out of control. Perry Fire Chief Chris Hinds offers some tips on how to have a campfire without worrying about setting yourself or your surroundings ablaze. “Be mindful of where you build your fire, and where your tent or your camper is located, so that you’re not directly in the path of the fire if the wind should pick up. It’s also a good thing, you know as a camp fire, to build a small fire. That way we have less chance of it spreading or getting away from us. Because it wouldn’t be so big, the flames and the sparks coming off it wouldn’t be so high up in the air.”

Another hazard is the traffic on the roads. Police officers and sheriff deputies will be out in force in a statewide initiative this weekend to make sure people are observing proper driving safety. Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard says, “I encourage motorists to pay attention to all the slow-moving vehicles. You know, you’ve got a lot of people pulling campers, boats, and whatever. We’re also aware there’s a lot of drinking going on. So if you drink, don’t drive. They have plenty of services out there that will make sure that you get home safe.”

To hear more about safety over Memorial Day, listen to Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County programs at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.