As the City of Detroit rolls out its annual Angels' Night campaign to curb arson fires over the Halloween holiday, the city's Fire Department says it plans to employ new efforts.
Executive Fire Commissioner Donald Austin told the news media Tuesday that department vehicles will patrol 3-6 a.m. on Halloween on Monday -- a time period when volunteer patrols typically drop off. Angels' Night efforts begin Sunday.
The department also will be adding a foam product to its water that helps extinguish fires faster and prevents rekindling, Austin said. He said the foam, which costs about $662 per 55-gallon drum, could become a regular part of the department's firefighting efforts.
The city saw 169 fires during the three-day Halloween period in 2010, up from 119 in 2009.
City officials also announced Tuesday that curfews will be in effect beginning Saturday night, and the city's ban on selling fuel to anyone younger than 18 years old between midnight Thursday and 11:59 p.m. Monday will be enforced.
Residents are being asked to help patrol neighborhoods. Officials also are encouraging residents to turn on porch lights and watch vacant homes in their neighborhoods.
Those interested in volunteering can report to patrol deployment locations at community access centers or satellite locations Sunday.
The community access centers are located downtown at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave.; on the east side at the Butzel Family Center, 7737 Kercheval; in northwest Detroit at 19180 Grand River, and in southwest Detroit at 7744 W. Vernor.
There are satellite locations at Coleman A. Young International Airport, 11499 Conner, and at the Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers.
Here is the number of fires during the three-day period around Halloween over the past 10 years, as previously reported by the Free Press:
2010: 169
2009: 119
2008: 136
2007: 147
2006: 143
2005: 121
2004: 141
2003: 117
2002: 110
2001: 157
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
