10 days after Devil's Night, Saginaw still burning

I'm often happy when I see my college town in the news, much less a lead story on CNN.com. But, not for things like this. Pay special attention to the final comment by Saginaw's Chief of Police, whose keen intellect and foresight are nothing short of brilliant.

10 DAYS AFTER DEVIL'S NIGHT, FIRES STILL ABLAZING

Late Wednesday and early Thursday, four fires erupted on the same block, causing more than $70,000 in damage. No one was injured.

"Why would anybody keep doing this?" Battalion Chief Donald Coleman asked.

Firefighters have battled more than 50 fires since the October 30 spree in which 16 houses, most of them vacant, burned. Since then, homes, cars and garbage have been set ablaze.

Widespread arson fires on the night before Halloween, dubbed Devil's Night, started years ago in Detroit. Saginaw, a city of about 60,000 residents, later began seeing copycat arsons.

Police have said a police officer trained in arson investigation will be working with Fire Marshal Gregory Barton to sift through charred homes, interview potential witnesses and track down leads.

"I think criminals would be a little less inclined to burn things down if they think they might be caught," Police Chief Gerald H. Cliff said.