United States Fire Administration Advocates Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Technology

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) promotes the implementation of technologies developed to lessen the impact of fire in the United States. Data from USFA's National Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) indicates that electrical fires are a leading cause of fire deaths and property damage in residential occupancies. It is estimated that more than 30,000 home fires are attributed to faulty wiring that may cause arcing and sparking. About 300 lives are lost and 1,100 victims suffer each year because of these fires. The USFA shares NFIRS data with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in an effort to work together to address the fire problem in the United States.

The CPSC has identified arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) technology as an effective means of preventing fires caused by electrical wiring faults in the home. An AFCI is intended to trip an electrical circuit in order to prevent an electrical arcing that may cause a fire. Detailed information on this technology is available from the CPSC. The CPSC provides general information on AFCIs on its Internet site at http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/afcifac8.pdf.

*(NOTE: This file is in Portable Document Format (PDF) and requires the Acrobat Reader.) A fact sheet on AFCI technology is available on the same site.

Recently, the USFA and the National Association of State Fire Marshals have agreed to combine resources in an effort to promote the installation of arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) in the home and in other occupancies.

NASFM, in partnership with the USFA, will provide representatives of the Federal government who have responsibilities for fire protection in their agencies, with technical and other useful information on the effectiveness of AFCIs. Some of these agencies are responsible for residential type occupancies and other occupancies that would benefit by the protection afforded by AFCIs. The USFA and NASFM plan to cooperate in other ways too, to effect widespread installation of these life and property saving devices.