175 ‘Devil’s Night’ Fires Flare in Detroit

At least 175 fires broke out Wednesday night despite increased efforts by the city and civilian volunteers to keep “devil’s night” arsonists from celebrating another rite of destruction, the mayor said.

The blazes, which were reported to police between 1 a.m. and 10 p.m., were down 29% from the 248 fires reported at the same time last year, Mayor Coleman Young said.

The night before Halloween, traditional time of youthful pranks, exploded into an orgy of arson in Detroit two years ago. Overtaxed firefighters answered 553 calls in the 48 hours before Halloween, 1983. One person died in the fires that year.