WDIV
Rerpinted with Permission

DETROIT - Detroit fire officials responded to 169 fires over the three-day Halloween period known as Angel's Night.


That's up from 119 fires reported last year over the same three-day period. In 2008, 136 were fires were reported.

Fire commissioner James Mack said during a news conference Monday that 42 percent of the blazes were set in vacant houses, while 23 percent were in occupied homes.

Days before the city's anti-arson campaign, "pre-emptive" crime sweeps and traffic blitzes were held. Police said five people were arrested on warrants for arson-related cases.

Thousands of volunteers and city residents participated in the "Watch Your Block" anti-arson campaign.

“I want to thank the thousands of volunteers and citizens who spent countless hours over the weekend to adopt abandoned structures, keep an eye on their neighborhood, and patrol the streets of Detroit to keep the city and its residents safe,” said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.

More than 800 fires were started in 1984, the height of what then was known as Devil's Night.

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