in the mid-1990s, publically availa

in the mid-1990s, publically available information estimated that there were more than 40 000 fires, more than 300 deaths, and over 1400 injuries per year due to electrical fires. It was reported that in 1996, $680 million in residential property loss was attributed to home electrical distribution fires. In response, codes and standards for an advanced type of circuit protection were developed,resulting in the arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). Better understanding of the uniquerequirements of this device should lead to further increased overall electrical safety by expanding this technology in present residential applications and beyond.