Firefighters in Surrey and Vancouver reported fewer fireworks-related incidents this Halloween, citing harsher penalties, bans and weather conditions in the regions as possible reasons.

Surrey Fire Chief Larry Thomas said there were four or five firework-related fires in the city Thursday, compared to about 20 on Halloween last year.

He attributed the decline to several factors.

“I think the weather would definitely play a role and all the focus on increasing fines hopefully has had an influence on that as well to reduce complaints and actual fires,” Thomas told CBC News .

Surrey has doubled fines for fireworks bylaw violations ahead of Halloween and Diwali this year, with a municipal ticket now costing up to $1,000.

Beyond the actual fires, Thomas said the city received about 350 complaints Thursday, fewer than the roughly 500 reported last year.

WATCH | Surrey, British Columbia increases fines for fireworks:

Surrey, British Columbia increases fines for fireworks ahead of Halloween and Diwali celebrations

The City of Surrey has just approved an increase in fines related to the sale and use of fireworks ahead of the holidays. As Rafferty Baker reports, the mayor says this is in response to the significant increase in fireworks-related complaints this time of year.

The Vancouver Fire Department said Friday that a ban on the sale and use of consumer fireworks, which took effect in 2021, is working.

The department said there were 43 fires in Vancouver on Halloween night this year and last year. Seven of them were related to fireworks and caused $225,000 in damage in 2023 and $3,000 this year.

That’s down from the two years before the ban, when firefighters reported responding to 58 fires on Halloween, 25 of which were directly related to fireworks and caused $1.3 million in damage.

Still, some residents in downtown Vancouver reported a lot of noise late Thursday night.

“Just non-stop, but I guess that’s kind of what you’d expect,” downtown resident Ian Oswald told CBC News on Friday.

Vancouver police said there were no notable incidents on Halloween night.

Police say someone set off a firecracker near the entrance to the gymnasium at David Thompson Secondary School in East Vancouver Thursday morning, hitting two students who were walking by.

One student was taken to hospital with a facial injury and another suffered temporary hearing loss. Police said they were looking for a suspect, who may or may not be a student at the school.