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Arizona police departments were busy over the Fourth of July holiday weekend enforcing DUI and traffic laws. Last summer at this time, more than 650 DUI arrests were made, while nearly half that amount was reported this year. Alberto Gutier, director for the Office of Highway Safety, said the Yarnell Hill Fire affected law enforcement over the holiday.

“They’re down because the number of officers participating and the number of traffic stops was half of what it was last year, even though the same number of days count," said Gutier.  "This means that because of all of the things that happened last week, including the officers that were detailed to the issue with the lost firefighters, [police officers] were tied up and less officers were allowed to work DUI."

The number of designated drivers contacted remained nearly the same as last year, however. Gutier contributed this positive statistic to police departments' continued education of Arizona residents about the dangers of drinking and driving.

"We don't like arresting people," said Gutier. "We encourage people to call a cab, call a friend, even walk home if they're drunk. Anything to avoid hurting someone while on the road."

Gutier said most people were stopped on Wednesday and Friday night.