Vancouver fire crews report busier-than-usual Halloween evening
Posted November 1, 2020 9:43 pm.
Last Updated November 2, 2020 6:04 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — On Halloween night, the Vancouver Fire Department responded to just under 300 calls, including 38 confirmed fires.
Assistant Fire Chief Ken Gemmill says Saturday was a busier-than-usual Halloween for the department, as it the last year that fireworks will be allowed in Vancouver on Halloween.
“Compared to other years it’s probably a little bit busier even though it’s with the addition of COVID. You think it would slow things down with the social distancing it, but didn’t really play that part in terms of fires and in terms of emergency calls,” he says. “It was busy if not busier than most years for sure.”
Gemmill says a home catching fire and a car getting completely torched — both because of fireworks — were just some of the calls crews received.
“And the rest were broken down to smaller fires with hedges dumpsters, you know, small outbuildings etc.,” he adds. “All in all, a very busy day for Vancouver Fire Rescue.”
In total, around $450,000 in damage was caused by the various fires.
While Gemmill says he does not want to add to the “no fun city” Vancouver slogan, he notes that, at the end of the day, firefighters have an obligation to keep you and the city safe.
He says if Vancouverites can be smart about things like fireworks and cooking fires, it can reduce the dollars lost and help keep the city safe.
