Vancouver emergency crews faced another year of Halloween chaos Thursday, as muggings, fires, fireworks-related injuries and general public unrest ravaged this scary party.

Despite the continuing ban on the sale or use of fireworks anywhere in the city, incidents involving low-quality explosives have nonetheless resulted in many injuries.

The chaos started early at David Thompson Secondary School in Fraserview, where two teenagers were injured after someone set off a firecracker in the school hallway just after 10 a.m.

According to a statement from the Vancouver Police Department, the person set off the firecracker near the entrance to the school gymnasium, hitting two students as they walked past. One was taken to hospital with a facial injury, while the other suffered temporary hearing loss.

Police have not identified a suspect and said it was unclear whether the person was a student at the school. The VPD, whose youth services section is investigating the incident, asked anyone who witnessed the assault or has information about what happened to call the department at 604-717- 3144.

Officers continued to have their work cut out for them as the evening wore on, with Vancouver police noting that much of the unrest was concentrated in the downtown area.

Eight people were arrested for breach of public order, as well as one for assault on a police officer, all perpetrated on the Granville strip, the VPD said on Friday.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue said another person was seriously injured Thursday evening after someone “maliciously set off” a firework near another person.

Despite a ban on the sale, purchase and release of fireworks in Vancouver taking effect in 2020, firefighters said they received 100 reports of fireworks being lit in the city this year, crews having intervened in 50 areas of concern where they had actively intervened or dispersed people who were in the area.

Of the 21 fires reported Thursday evening in Vancouver, three were related to fireworks, VFRS said.

Although the numbers mark a notable decrease in spooky misbehavior during the season, firefighters noted that the $3,000 in firework-related damages is considerably less than the $225,000 accrued last year, and that both combined pale in comparison to the $1.3 million in combined property losses for 2019 and 2020 – Thursday’s incidents highlight that there is still room for improvement, VFRS said.

“While there has been a year-over-year decrease in fireworks-related events, there is still work to be done to educate the public about the risks to people and property, as well as to enforce the regulations in force,” said the VFRS. in a press release Friday.

Vancouver wasn’t the only area where Halloween was lawless on Thursday, with other Lower Mainland police services reporting incidents throughout the evening.

In Squamish, fireworks, bear spray and improvised explosive devices were seized by police reprimanding a large gathering of rowdy youths in the Garibaldi Highlands neighborhood. Officers located about 100 youths lighting illegal fireworks and “causing mischief” in the area, said Squamish RCMP, which had received a large number of calls reporting fireworks being fired at people, houses and cars.

“A number of young people were physically and verbally aggressive towards the police. Fireworks were aimed at police and their vehicles and set off. Additionally, some youth were in possession of bear spray, bear squirters, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and were wearing balaclavas,” Squamish RCMP said in a news release.

Several youths were arrested and released to their parents and, although no charges have been laid following these incidents, investigations are still ongoing, police said.

The Abbotsford Police Service said officers seized explosives and issued tickets, reprimanding youth “as young as 14” following a “large number” of fire complaints. ‘artifice. Surrey RCMP noted 39 calls related to the use of fireworks, with the remaining 301 calls received Thursday evening being the result of disturbances, mischief, conflicts, abandoned 911 calls and suspicious events.

At Mission, an officer was reportedly hit in the face with a baton while trying to disperse a group of 300 people in the area of ​​Albert McMahon Elementary School.

Meanwhile, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), which announced last month that it would be one of the last regions to ban celebratory explosivesnoted a significant reduction in Halloween-related incidents this year.

Nation spokesperson and Sxwixwtn council member Wilson Williams said people were “respecting the ban” on selling on reserve land in the run-up to Halloween, and the number of complaints and Noise-related incidents had been significantly reduced.

“I am happy to say that the fireworks ban we implemented on our reservation has served its purpose,” he said.

“The safety of our associates during this season is our number one priority, and the ban has been a success.”