Devils’ Night no longer most destructive period for fires in Detroit

Devil’s Night has long been synonymous with Detroit’s self-destruction.

At its peak in 1984, the three-day arson tradition led to the burning of more than 800 cars, vacant houses, garages and businesses from Oct. 29-31.

During the same three-day period that ended at midnight, the city responded to 97 fires, which is nearly identical to each year since 2011. City officials credit the reduction on the thousands of vigilant volunteers who patrol the streets all night. It also helps that the city lost more than 40% of its population since 1984.

Whatever prompted the reduction has been so successful that the most notorious three-day period of arsons in the country is no longer the most destructive in Detroit, according to our analysis of fire data.

Taking its place are the three days surrounding Independence Day – July 3, 4 and 5. This year, there were more than 100 fires during that period, and they were much more destructive. Arsonists hit larger targets, including six apartment buildings and eight commercial structures.

By comparison, suspicious fires broke out in three apartments buildings and one commercial structure during the three-day Devils’ Night period.

Our map of all fires on Oct. 30-31

A comparable number of houses were burned during both periods – about 55, mostly vacant.

Still, fires during the Devils’ Night period are three times more frequent that an average three-day span.

Devil’s Night goes back to the 1930s when young people engaged in petty vandalism, soaping windows, toilet-papering trees and burning bags of feces on people’s porches.

By the 1970s, the vandalism got more destructive and involved lighting vacant houses and buildings on fire. After the fires peaked in the mid-1980s, they began a gradual decline but remain a menace.

  Abandoned houses, angels night, Arsons, detroit, Devil’s Night, Fire department, Firefighters

Steve Neavling

Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.

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