Devil's Night Is Detroit's Deadly Halloween Tradition

October 30, 1984, locals celebrated the Detroit Tigers' first World Series championship in 16 years. That celebration quickly...The city experienced many things in just one night.810 fires happened.

Most arson targeted abandoned properties. Still, injuries and national outrage occurred.810 firesNational media focused on Detroit after the deadly Devil's Night of 1994. Police arrested 314 teenagers that day, and firefighters fought about 300 blazes citywide.The saddest headline came from the night: a one-year-old died in a nearby suburb. This was not the first Devil's Night to take a life. Firefighters recovered one man's body from a fire's remnants in 1983, and several other deaths happened in recent decades.This death served as a major warning for Detroit; it helped create the Angels' Night movement.

National media focused on Detroit after the deadly Devil's Night of 1994. Police arrested 314 teenagers.Police arrested 314 teenagers.Firefighters battled about 300 blazes citywide that day.

The saddest headline came from the night: a one-year-old died in a fire in a nearby suburb. This was not the first Devil's Night to take a life; firefighters recovered someone in 1983.Detroit is in a different league for Devil's Night. Camden, Pennsylvania, matched Detroit once in 1991.Camden firefighters struggled to control 133 fires on October 30, 1991. That one night had more fires than any other day in the fire department's 122-year history. Camden averaged 15 fire calls daily throughout October leading up to Mischief Night. The two previous Mischief Nights did not equal the devastation of that 1991 evening.

On the July 4 weekend in 2016, Detroit and its suburbs had 140 fires. This tripled the arson activity from Devil's Night 2015. The city should start mobilizing Angels' Night volunteers twice yearly before things get out of hand.

To cut Devil's Night fires, Detroit imposed strict rules during a five-day period around Halloween.Detroit imposed strict rules.Since the crackdown, teenagers cannot be outside without adult supervision after 6 pm on October 30 until 6 am on Halloween.

The city also imposed a 9 o'clock curfew on Halloween night for those under 18. Gasoline restrictions start at 12 am on October 27.

A few U.S. places call October 30 Mischief Night.Mischief NightOther areas call the day before Halloween 'Goosey Night' or 'Trick Night.' None of these nicknames match the destruction of Detroit's Devil's Night.

Arson and crime from Devil's Night have entered some other Michigan cities, including Flint.FlintNowhere in the world has suffered the same massive fire count at the end of October as Detroit.

Detroit stands alone with Devil's Night. Camden, Pennsylvania, challenged Detroit once in 1991.

Camden firefighters struggled to control 133 fires.133 firesCamden faced 133 fires on October 30, 1991. This night featured more fires than any other day in the fire department's 122-year history. Camden averaged 15 fire calls daily in October leading up to Mischief Night. The two prior Mischief Nights did not equal the devastation of that 1991 evening.

On the July 4 weekend in 2016, Detroit and its suburbs experienced fires.140 firesThis tripled arson activity from Devil's Night 2015. The city should start using Angels' Night volunteers twice yearly before things get out of control.

After losing a one-year-old in a Devil's Night fire, Detroit's mayor acted to lower the risk of late October deaths. They launched a new holiday, Angels' Day, in 1995.

About 50,000 volunteers patrol Detroit streets yearly. They stop would-be arsonists from starting fires. After the first year, the number of fires...dropped from 354 to 158.Devil's Night fire numbers unexpectedly jumped in 2010. They fell the next year.

Mischief Night has historical examples across the country. Its presence grew during the '40s.The night before Halloween often featured small pranks then.Pranksters targeted by these actions could expect soaped windows or toilet paper in their trees on Halloween morning. Detroit did not see violence until the '70s.

Pranksters targeted homeowners with soaped windows and toilet paper in their trees on Halloween morning. Detroit did not become violent until the 1970s.

From 1995 to 2010, Angels' Night volunteers cut arson cases on October 30. In 2010, the fire count rose to 169, stopping the downward trend.

This number was much lower than Devil's Night's peak. Still, it showed a 42% jump from 2009. By 2011, the city returned to the correct path.

A drop in Angels' Night volunteers caused the spike. Numbers fell from 50,000 to just 27,000.

movie adapts the popular comic book series by James O'Barr.O'Barr, raised in Metro Detroit, used his platform to show the bad things about Devil's Night.In the film, criminal Top Dollar tells a story suggesting he started the first Devil's Night fire. This may not match the real timeline, but it showed Detroit's deadly Halloween tradition.James O'Barr wrote 'The Crow.' Raised in Metro Detroit, O'Barr used his platform to expose Devil's Night's terrible acts.

In the film, criminal Top Dollar claims he started the first Devil's Night fire. This might not match real history, but it showed Detroit's deadly Halloween tradition.

People die on Devil's Night from arsonists' mistakes. Still, some local bars and businesses use the holiday to draw customers. Flyers advertising 'Devil's Night parties' appear across Metro Detroit and Ontario, Canada.Devil's Night parties.

The goal might be to keep people off the streets. Fire counts dropped sharply as teenage curfews rose, suggesting the bar crowd is older than many fire starters.