The tradition has often been marred by vandalism, fights, and break-ins when gangs steal trees from each other, break into sheds, or argue over wood. In recent years, the police have taken a new approach to the unruly hunt. A permit is required to organize Easter bonfires, following a 2024 legal investigation by the police that concluded such bonfires should be assessed as public events.
Last year, only one bonfire applied for a permit, but this year, the two largest bonfires, Öckerö's Norgårds fyr and Hönö's Röfyr, have applied for permits.