AFCI Changes to Indiana Code?

[wire_nut]

I saw this article today.


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090507/NEWS/905070460&template=printart


So it seems Indiana did not require AFCI for a couple years, and now, the state is reconsidering. It looks like a fight between a state builders assoc. and a national electrical equipment manufacturers assoc.
A caption with the graphics in the print version of the newspaper mentioned AFCI could prevent half of all electrical fires, although the online version does not include this factoid. Does anyone have any good data?

 

[charlie]

Welcome to the Forum!​

I am in the State Office Building right now and waiting on the meeting to start concerning the adoption of the 2008 NEC with the Indiana Amendments. At this point, Indiana has removed the TR receptacles and AFCIs from the Indiana Electrical Code and the Indiana Residential Code. I will make an announcement when the IEC (Indiana Electrical Code). :smile:

 

[wire_nut]

Thank you for the warm welcome Charlie.

I looked more closely at the caption of the AFCI graphic in today's Indianapolis Star. They attribute the information to Electrical Safety Foundation International. I have attached a link to their website

http://esfi.org/node/110

The website says:
"...Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters, or AFCIs, are electrical safety devices designed to prevent fires caused by dangerous electrical arcs. Arc faults are one of the major causes of the thousands of residential electrical fires that occur each year.

Use of new AFCI technology could prevent 50 to 75 percent of these fires, saving hundreds of lives, reducing thousands of injuries and nearly $1 billion in property damage annually..."

Does anyone know where these statistics come from? 50 to 75% of which fires? Are there any electrical fires not cause by arcs?

Just wondering...