Devil's Night: Detroit's Arson Reckoning

Episode 85

Each October, the city of Detroit braced for three nights of chaos known as Devil’s Night—a grim tradition of arson and destruction that peaked in the 1980s with hundreds of fires set across the city. But behind the headlines and the flames lies a story of resilience, strategy, and a community that refused to burn.

In this episode, we take you inside the rise and fall of Devil’s Night—how economic collapse, political scandal, and desperation turned mischief into mayhem, and how Detroit’s residents, firefighters, and city leaders fought back through the “Angels’ Night” campaign.

We’ll trace the legacy of those fire-filled nights and ask: what happens when a city becomes known not for its industry, but for its inferno?

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Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments:
Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes.

Listener discretion is advised.

Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

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Sources: 

• Maciak, Barbara, PhD, MPH, et al. (1999). Preventing Halloween Arson in Urban Settings: A Model for Multisectoral Planning and Community Participation. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. JSTOR link

• Zaharan, Sammy, et al. (2019). Hidden Costs of Blight and Arson in Detroit: Evidence From a Natural Experiment in Devil’s Night. Ecological Economics, Volume 158, pp. 266–277. ScienceDirect link

• Anonymous (2021, October 31). The Devil’s Night: On the Ungovernable Spirit of Halloween. Ill Will Editions. illwill.com/devils-night

• Chafets, Ze’ev. (1990). Devil’s Night and Other True Tales of Detroit. Random House.

• LeDuff, Charlie. (2013). Detroit: An American Autopsy. Penguin Books.