Detroit registers its second year free from the decades-long Devil’s Night (10/30) arson fires

[WedgeX]

For decades in Detroit, Halloween eve was synonymous with fire.

Photographers from around the globe flocked to the city to witness what became known as Devil's Night, the notorious tradition of setting fire to houses, buildings, cars and dumpsters.

Between 1979 and 2010, more than 100 fires broke out each year. The worst year was 1984, when firefighters responded to more than 800 blazes that covered the entire city in an eery, smoky haze on Halloween morning.

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For the second year in a row, Devil's Night was nothing more than an average night for firefighters on Wednesday. Only seven fires broke out, and some were accidental, Detroit Deputy Commissioner Dave Fornell tells Metro Times.

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Since the 1910s, fires have been a part of the Halloween tradition in Detroit. Students at the former Detroit College of Medicine used to set large bonfires in the streets and even handed cigars to arriving firefighters. In 1935, then-Detroit Police Commissioner Heinrich A. Pickert threatened pranksters with jail.

"The starting of bonfires is a dangerous thing; the pulling of fire alarm boxes is a serious thing; the rubbing of soap on show windows and doors or windows of automobiles or making scratches with sharp instruments on buildings are expensive tricks and those caught in such acts will be sent to the nearest station," Pickert told The Detroit Free Press.

By the 1970s, fires turned more violent and broke out in cars, houses, and buildings during a three-day period beginning Oct. 29. More than 100 fires broke out each year from 1979 to 2011.

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https://m.metrotimes.com/detroit/de...sappear-on-halloween-eve/Content?oid=23012915

Thousands of people used to volunteer to try and stop the fires - and save their neighborhoods. Such amazing continued progress by Detroit and its residents.

 

[aisback]

Not to derail this but that's why D12 first album us called what it is

On a more on topic response I'm glad there's been improvements and people appear to be more safe

 

[WedgeX]

Sadly, it looks like most of the local Detroit media is lamenting the Nationals win with former Tigers and have not covered this very much.

 

[Wingfan19]

I remember being in cub scouts and patrolling my local elementary school on Oct 30th to prevent vandalism. I grew up like 10 miles outside of Detroit so it wasn't that big of a deal in my area, but it was kinda weird we even had to do that.

 

[Deleted member 23850]

D12 Devil's Night is such a great album. I didn't realize it was based on a real event, though.

Looking it up...yeah it sounds pretty disturbing. As somebody who is cosidering a move to Detroit someday to get the hell away from Phoenix, It's great to see it getting better.

 

[gaugebozo]

I noticed it this year. When I was a kid, it was consistently 200 or more. This year I didn't hear any gunshots, I didn't hear any stories about houses being burned.

 

[Thorn]

I thought the Angels Night campaign was a joke when they started it but glad to be wrong.

 

[IrishNinja]

legit didn't know this was a thing until the crow

 

[Deleted member 13496]

Not to derail this but that's why D12 first album us called what it is

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Well Holy shit, isn't that neat. You learn something every day.

 

[Sutton Dagger]

Not much to add about the actual story as I didn't know it was a thing. But came to say a bloody love D12's Devil's Night album.

 

[Pirateluigi]

It was a strange thing to learn that other places didnt have Devils Night. It was such a constant growing up that I always thought it happened everywhere.

Really happy to see we may be moving away from it.