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demmiblue

(37,866 posts)
Thu Oct 31, 2019, 10:49 AM Oct 2019

Decades-long Devil's Night is dead in Detroit. Fires disappear on Halloween eve



For decades in Detroit, Halloween eve was synonymous with fire.

Photographers from around the globe flocked to the city to witness what became known as Devil’s Night, the notorious tradition of setting fire to houses, buildings, cars and dumpsters.

Between 1979 and 2010, more than 100 fires broke out each year. The worst year was 1984, when firefighters responded to more than 800 blazes that covered the entire city in an eery, smoky haze on Halloween morning.

Over the past nine years, the fires steadily declined.

For the second year in a row, Devil’s Night was nothing more than an average night for firefighters on Wednesday. Only seven fires broke out, and some were accidental, Detroit Deputy Commissioner Dave Fornell tells Metro Times.

“There is going to be a new generation of kids who remember Halloween as dressing up and getting candy,” Fornell says. “The city is changing.”

On Halloween evening, firefighters will be handing out candy at fire houses.

https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/decades-long-devils-night-is-dead-in-detroit-fires-disappear-on-halloween-eve/Content?oid=23012915


(plus a to Dennis Archer)
4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Decades-long Devil's Night is dead in Detroit. Fires disappear on Halloween eve (Original Post) demmiblue Oct 2019 OP
Same trend in Flint and Saginaw Siwsan Oct 2019 #1
Aww man. rownesheck Oct 2019 #2
This s a big breakthrough, wonder how it was accomplished. braddy Oct 2019 #3
Bad weather played a part. It seemed there were always fewer fires ... JustABozoOnThisBus Oct 2019 #4

Siwsan

(27,309 posts)
1. Same trend in Flint and Saginaw
Thu Oct 31, 2019, 10:52 AM
Oct 2019

Just a quiet night. Of course, the weather may be a factor. It has been pretty miserable.

rownesheck

(2,343 posts)
2. Aww man.
Thu Oct 31, 2019, 11:01 AM
Oct 2019

Devil's night sounds bad ass. Like from the movie The Crow.

Oh well. I guess folks are becoming more civilized.

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,785 posts)
4. Bad weather played a part. It seemed there were always fewer fires ...
Thu Oct 31, 2019, 01:05 PM
Oct 2019

... when Devil's Night was cold and rainy. As it was last night.

It would be nice if "Devil's Night" would fade into a distant urban legend, not a permanent custom.

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