NATION : Detroit Battles ‘Devil’s Night’

DETROIT — Firefighters today smothered blazes scattered throughout the city overnight as thousands of volunteers walked the streets to deter arsonists on “Devil’s Night,” Detroit’s annual Halloween eve fire spree.

Fire officials refused to say how many blazes they fought, but some volunteers said they believed that there were fewer than last year. Police said arrests for violating a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew were down by more than a third.

One volunteer patrolling the streets, Ray Wright, said he saw only one small fire in his neighborhood. “It’s definitely down from last year,” he said.

But City Councilman David Eberhard said there were more fires across town. A smoky haze lingered in many areas, and it appeared likely that there were more fires than the 60 reported on an average night in Detroit.