VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It may be a soggy weekend but Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services will still be out in force.

Emergency crews will on the lookout for illegal fireworks ahead of Halloween, as the weekend before October 31 tends to be a busy one.

“If you can remember last year, that’s when we had that one school set ablaze by misappropriate firework use — damage that was to the tune of in excess of $400,000. We just can’t have that happen,” explains Captain Gabe Roder.

He says the Internet is making their job a lot more difficult this year.

“What really concerns us right now is the fact that a lot of irresponsible individuals, they’re not content right now with regular over-the-counter fireworks. What they’re doing is going to the next level — what we would call illegal fireworks. Those are very dangerous and also very unpredictable.”

Roder says every year they see serious burns and injuries from the combination of teens and fireworks.

He also reminds you that permits are required to buy and set off fireworks on the 31st only, as long as it’s on private property.