Detroit's Devil's Night Rampages Firmly in Past

Nov. 2—DETROIT — The night before Halloween isn't what it used to be in Detroit.

Oct. 30 saw only three building fires this year across the city of 139 square miles and Halloween had just three fires, too, Dave Fornell, deputy commissioner of the Detroit Fire Department, told The Detroit News on Monday.

That compares to nine building fires on Oct. 30, 2020, and 16 on Halloween 2020, Fornell said.

"We're pretty proud of what we did, and what the people of our city did," Fornell said.

This year's fire totals near Halloween mark lows that Detroit hasn't seen in decades, but the number of Halloween day fires last year more than doubled from the seven fires Detroit firefighters responded to in 2019, according to previously provided statistics. In 2019, Detroit had eight fires on Oct. 30.

The night before Halloween used to be regarded as Devil's Night in Detroit. In earlier times, people would egg people's houses and create low-level mischief.

But in the 1980s, the night became associated with arson. In 1984, the Detroit Fire Department responded to 810 fires over a three-day span.

Images of a burning Detroit traveled the world on broadcast television. Arson became a tradition all its own.

In 1997, then- Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer turned the page, calling Oct. 30 "Angel's Night" and asking Detroiters to volunteer to patrol their city, leaving would-be arsonists little room to operate.

That year, some 35,000 volunteers answered Archer's call, and there were 142 fires over the three-day period including Halloween.

Two decades later, in 2017, Mayor Mike Duggan announced Detroit would be shedding the Angel's Night moniker in favor of a celebration now regarded as " Halloween in the D."

Duggan told The News on Monday that he was criticized four years ago by some for canceling Angels Night. But with Detroit's ongoing effort to remove blighted homes, there are fewer targets, said Duggan, who is seeking a third term as mayor in Tuesday's general election.

"There wasn't even any discussion this year about Angels Night. We haven't given it any thought," Duggan said. "There's far more stability in the neighborhoods."

The mayor noted how Detroit razed nearly 16,000 blighted homes with $265 million in federal Hardest Hit Fund dollars. But the massive blight elimination program wasn't without controversy. It became the focus of local, state and federal investigations and reviews over soaring costs and bidding practices.

"...there's a whole lot fewer targets and a lot more eyes in the neighborhoods," Duggan said.

"We had a generation of kids who grew up thinking Halloween is the time when all the vehicles flashing yellow lights were on streets to make sure their house didn't burn," Duggan added. "Now, we're going into our fourth year without that and so we're going to have another generation of kids who will never remember anything else about Halloween except for trick or treating."

Anthony Adams, Duggan's mayoral challenger, who has criticized Duggan over Detroit's crime rates and has accused him of "benign neglect," said Monday that he was glad to hear that the city's Halloween fire numbers are down.

"I love good news about our city, especially as it relates to fires," Adams said.

Fornell added it's "not acceptable anymore" in Detroit to set fires.

"Parents used to have to keep their kids locked up the night before Halloween," Fornell said. "Now our police precincts and fire stations are handing out candy for the kids. It's very positive."

But while Detroit Fire Department had fewer fires to contend with this weekend, Fornell said medical runs were up significantly.

Compared to the 39 first-responder runs on Oct. 30 last year, and 37 on Halloween, there were 73 runs on Saturday, and 101 this Halloween, he noted.

Fornell said due to the city's Medical First Responder program, Detroit's firefighters are more able to render aid with all engine and squad companies now trained to handle medical runs.

But he also said the numbers mean many more 911 calls went out in the first place.

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Staff writer Sarah Rahal contributed

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