Cameras, Lights Added to Protect Detroit Art From Fire

Nov. 13--Heidelberg Project officials intend to install surveillance cameras and increase security after a series of fires, including a blaze that destroyed the "House of Soul" on Tuesday.

"No, we won't give up or give in," Heidelberg Executive Director Jenenne Whitfield said in a statement issued late Tuesday. "We will continue to positively impact our community through art. When I stop and reflect on what 2013 has brought with these series of fires, I am convinced that we are on to something very powerful. If this were not the case, negativity would not rear its ugly head."

Fire was reported in the House of Soul on Elba near Mt. Elliott, a block away from Heidelberg Street, at 4:39 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Detroit Fire Department. Firefighters on the scene deemed the blaze suspicious, Detroit Fire Capt. Charles Simms said. The House of Soul, a vacant home covered with vinyl records, burned to the ground. But firefighters were able to save a decorated house next door.

Tuesday's blaze was the fifth at the installation, which draws about 250,000 visitors a year, according to the group. The two-block expanse of homes and lots along Heidelberg Street, near Mt. Elliott and Gratiot Avenue, is decorated with everything from stuffed teddy bears to cars and shopping carts. Tyree Guyton, a self-described "urban environmental artist," created the installation in 1986 to bring attention to the plight of Detroit's neighborhoods, according to the group's website, Heidelberg.org.

"As we struggle to maintain a sense of calm and rational thinking, we first want to say that we are grateful that none of our residents have been affected by these senseless acts of violence," Whitfield said in the statement. "However, we are now deeply concerned for their safety and welfare."

The installation will be monitored with security cameras, Whitfield said. Security will patrol the installation and the group will install additional lighting at the project.

In October, fire destroyed the installation's OJ House, the second fire at that Heidelberg home in six months. In a statement issued then, Heidelberg officials said they knew who set the fire and believed he was the same person who set a blaze there in May.

Anyone with information can contact the Michigan Arson Reward Program through the Michigan Arson Tip Line, sponsored by Michigan State Police and the Michigan Arson Prevention Committee at 1-800-44-ARSON or 1-800-442-7766. Tipsters could be eligible for up to a $5,000 reward for an arrest and/or conviction.

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