After dark: The best overnight news photos of 2018

A lot happens in Metro Vancouver during the hours people are usually sleeping.

From fires, floodingand stormsto unlikely heroes and extremely rare astronomical events, CBC video journalist Gian-Paolo Mendoza recaps and shares some of his favourite photos taken overnight this past year.

1. Driver escapes unharmed after lamppost falls oncar

Half a metreseparatedJasmine Olson and a street lightthat toppled onto her car during a heavy windstorm in Vancouver in January. Olson was stopped at a red light when the lamp post fell.

2. Candle-lit proposal mistaken for dumpster fire

A romantic candle-lit evening didn't go as planned for a young man inBurnabyattempting to propose to his partner in November. Someone saw the dozens of candles lit up in the middle of acul-de-sacand called the fire department, thinking there was a fire in a dumpster. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene but left as soon as they discovered what was going on. It's unclear if the man's partner said yes.

3. Fire consumes East Vancouver print shop

Residents of the Strathcona neighbourhood were warned to shut their windows due to smoke from an aggressive fire burning in a print shop near East Hastings Street near Clark Drive in April.

4. 'Super blue blood moon' soars over B.C.

The first lunar eclipse of the year saw a blood-red moon hovering over the night sky in Vancouver in late January. The lunar event was a combination of a super moon, blue moon and a lunar eclipse a combination that had not been seen in North America for more than 150 years.

5. Tactical police team deployed to Mount Seymour

A bizarre story that saw several heavily armed police officers descend upon a popular hiking trail on Mount Seymour amidheavy snow, after reports that someone had been stabbed on the Dog Mountain trail. Assisted by members of North Shore Rescue, the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) came across two men with knife wounds whom they said knew each other. Police have not said whether either was arrested or charged.

6. Passersby resuscitate man hit by semi-trailer

Two 23-year-old men from Abbotsford who witnessed a semi-truck hit a pedestrian in Pitt Meadows may have saved the victim's life. Neither Matt Burnett or Jeremy Scholing had ever performed CPR before, but were able to buy the man enough time for paramedics to arrive and get him to hospital. A representative from St. John's Ambulance told CBC News later that morning the two men could qualify for a lifesaving award from the organization. The man's condition is unknown.

7. Crews fight forest fire near Horseshoe Bay

West Vancouver fire crews had challenges putting out a forest fire burning near Horseshoe Bay in early August. It came during the peak of B.C.'s worst wildfire season on record, during which close to 13,000 square kilometresof the province was burned. You can watch a timelapse of the fire here.

8. Heavy rainfall leads to foot-deep flooding

The evening of Oct. 28was a chaotic night on several Metro Vancouver roads after a heavy bout of rainfall saw deep pooling water on some major arteries. Several drivers had to abandon their vehicles after they stalled while trying to drive through the middle of massive puddles.

9. Fire destroys century-old home in West End

A fast-moving fire in downtown Vancouverin January destroyed a house built in the early 1900s. Vancouver Fire and Rescue said the construction materials used for the home helped the fire spread quickly. Several residents were also forced out of their homes in the multi-unit building.

10.15-year-old bystander killed in shooting on Broadway

"We can't recall something like this happening in our city in a very long time ... It's heartbreaking," said Vancouver ChiefConst. Adam Palmer followinga shooting near Broadway and Ontario Street that claimed the life of a young boy. The intended target, 23-year-old KevinWhiteside, was also killed in the attack. Police still have no suspects in custody.

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