Vancouver’s permit system for Halloween fireworks isn’t cutting down on the number of fires, according to firefighters.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Capt. Gabe Roder told 24 hours the service put out in excess of 30 fires Saturday night, and the number could be even higher once the final reports are tallied.
All of the fires were caused by fireworks and appeared to be deliberate.
“That’s pretty much status quo,” said Roder. “Two years into the permit system and there hasn’t been much of a change for us.”
That may mean Vancouver is on the verge of joining a long list of Metro Vancouver communities, including Surrey, who have outright bans imposed on fireworks.
“We don’t want to penalize the families that are responsible and safe with fireworks, but I think the people who use them improperly will end up penalizing those families,” he said. “We’ll be taking our findings and submit a report to council for them to decide whether [the permit system] is effective or not.”
Vancouver police also reported having a busy night as thousands flocked to clubs and bars downtown to celebrate Halloween.
But despite a few assaults and other alcohol-fueled disturbances, VPD spokesperson Const. Jana McGuinness said there were no major incidents in the city.
The most serious incident of the night happened in Surrey, where two men were stabbed near LA Matheson secondary school, in the 9400 block of 122nd Street, in separate assaults after midnight.
RCMP believe the same group was responsible for both stabbings.
The two victims are expected to recover.
