Devil’s Night, the decades-long tradition of setting fire to houses, buildings, cars and dumpsters in Detroit on Halloween eve, was nothing more than an average night for firefighters this year.
A suspected serial arsonist accused of setting fire to numerous vacant houses on Detroit’s east side over the past month has been arrested and charged on several felony counts.
Many of the fires spread to adjacent structures, and at least two rigs broke down.
While there were slightly fewer fires in 2015, arsons and destructive blazes took a nosedive this year, marking a decades-long record.
One firefighter was injured, and a puppy was saved from a burning house.
Traditionally, Devils’ Night fires peak from late Oct. 30 to early Halloween.
It began innocently enough: Young pranksters draped toilet paper on trees and threw eggs at houses in Detroit.
The city also is expected to being getting new ladder trucks, platforms, squads, ambulances and arson vehicles next year.
About 140 fires broke out in Detroit and Highland Park from Saturday night to sunrise Tuesday, nearly triple the number of blazes during the three-day Devils’ Night period last year.
Firefighters are bracing for what has become the most destructive three-day period for fires in Detroit – July 2-4. We’ll provide details of every fire, with videos and photos.