updated 8:57 a.m. ET Oct. 21, 2004

BOSTON - Moments after the Boston Red Sox beat the rival New York Yankees to advance to their first World Series since 1986, fans poured out of bars around Fenway Park and set off wild celebrations throughout New England.

Horns blared and strangers hugged Wednesday night after the Red Sox became the first team in baseball history to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, beating the hated Yankees 10-3 in Game 7 of the AL championship series.

Fireworks shot into the sky, several small fires were set, and numerous fights broke out. But a heavy police presence kept things contained, and police reported no arrests as of 1:30 a.m. Several ambulances were seen leaving the area, but there was no information on injuries.

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Students at colleges around the region gathered on campuses following the game.

More than 2,000 students converged on Campus Pond at UMass-Amherst and gathered around a huge bonfire. Campus police reportedly made several arrests at the campus where 35 were arrested early Wednesday following Boston’s victory in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium.

Noisy University of New Hampshire students poured into downtown Durham. Police kept people moving along the sidewalks and out of the streets as a crowd estimated at about 2,000 people celebrated the victory.

“I’m numb,” said Woody Tomdorf, 21, of Hingham, one of thousands who poured into Boston’s Kenmore Square.

Fans, stung last October by a devastating seven-game defeat at the hands of the Yankees, marveled at Boston’s ability to tie and then win the ALCS.

“I’m still in shock. I can’t believe they came back,” Robert Paliotta, 25, of Cranston, R.I., said as he watched the game with friends at a bar in downtown Providence, R.I.

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