Electrical Safety
Electrical Fire Prevention
in Vancouver, WA
Electrical problems are the leading cause of house fires in the United States. Most of them start behind walls, inside panels, or at connections that have been slowly failing for years. By the time you smell something burning, real damage is already happening. Newman Electric helps homeowners and business owners across Vancouver, WA find and fix the electrical hazards that cause fires before they ever get that far.
Warning Signs
Signs of Electrical Fire Risk in Your Home
Most electrical fires don't happen out of nowhere. They build slowly. The warning signs are there if you know what to look for. If any of these apply to your home or business in Vancouver, WA, call Newman Electric for an evaluation.
Burning Smell With No Source
If you smell something burning but can't find it, the source is probably behind a wall or inside a junction box. Overheating wiring or a failing connection produces a distinct smell. Don't ignore it. Turn off the circuit if you can identify it and call Newman Electric.
Warm or Discolored Outlets
Outlets and switch plates should never be warm to the touch. If the plastic is discolored, melted, or warm, there's a connection problem behind it. Loose connections generate heat, and heat in a wall cavity is how electrical fires start.
Frequent Breaker Trips
A breaker that trips once in a while is doing its job. A breaker that trips repeatedly means something is overloading the circuit or there's a short somewhere. Running that circuit on a tripped breaker that keeps getting reset is a fire risk. Newman Electric diagnoses the root cause.
Flickering or Dimming Lights
Lights that flicker when you turn on an appliance point to an overloaded circuit or a loose connection at the panel. It doesn't mean the bulb is bad. It means the wiring can't keep up, and that strain generates heat over time.
Old or Recalled Panels
Federal Pacific, Zinsco, and certain Challenger panels have documented fire risks. The breakers in these panels can fail to trip during an overload, which means the wire overheats with no protection. If your home has one of these panels, replacement is the single best thing you can do for fire prevention.
Aluminum Branch Wiring
Homes built between 1965 and 1973 may have aluminum branch wiring. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, loosening connections over time. Those loose connections generate heat. Newman Electric installs COPALUM connectors or replaces aluminum wiring to eliminate this fire hazard.
Fire Prevention Services
How Newman Electric Reduces Fire Risk
Fire prevention isn't one fix. It's a combination of upgrades, corrections, and safety devices that work together to protect your home. Ryan and the crew have handled every one of these services across Vancouver, WA.
Panel Replacement
If your home has a Federal Pacific, Zinsco, or outdated panel, Newman Electric replaces it with a modern panel that actually trips when it should. Every replacement includes the NEC 230.85 outdoor disconnect and proper AFCI protection.
AFCI Breaker Installation
AFCI breakers detect arc faults, the tiny electrical sparks that ignite insulation and wood inside walls. The 2023 NEC requires AFCI protection on 15- and 20-amp circuits in living spaces. Newman Electric retrofits AFCI breakers on existing circuits.
Wiring Repair and Replacement
Damaged insulation, overloaded circuits, and improper connections are fire starters. Newman Electric repairs or replaces wiring that's degraded, undersized, or not installed to code. If your home has knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring, we replace it with modern copper.
Smoke Detector Wiring
Battery-only smoke detectors fail when the battery dies. Newman Electric installs hardwired, interconnected smoke detectors so when one goes off, they all go off. WA code requires working smoke detectors on every level and in every bedroom.
Dedicated Circuits
Running too many appliances on one circuit generates heat. Space heaters, microwaves, and window AC units on shared circuits are common fire risks. Newman Electric adds dedicated circuits so high-draw appliances have their own protected line.
Whole-Home Surge Protection
Power surges damage wiring insulation over time. Repeated small surges weaken connections and create the conditions for an arc fault. Newman Electric installs whole-home surge protectors at the panel to filter surges before they reach your circuits.
Code & Compliance
NEC Fire Prevention Requirements
The National Electrical Code exists to prevent fires. Every revision tightens the requirements based on fire investigation data. Washington adopted the 2023 NEC effective April 1, 2024, and Newman Electric builds to every current requirement.
NEC 210.12: AFCI Protection
AFCI breakers are required on all 15- and 20-amp circuits in bedrooms, living rooms, hallways, closets, and most other living spaces when circuits are modified. Arc faults are the number one electrical fire starter in residential buildings. AFCI breakers detect them and cut power before ignition. WAC 296-46B
NEC 230.85: Emergency Disconnect
An outdoor emergency disconnect is now required on new and replaced service panels. This gives firefighters the ability to cut power from outside the building without entering. Newman Electric installs outdoor disconnects on every panel replacement in Vancouver, WA.
NEC 210.8: GFCI Protection
GFCI outlets prevent shock, but they also reduce fire risk by detecting ground faults that can overheat wiring. The 2023 NEC expanded GFCI requirements to cover more locations including laundry areas and all 250-volt outlets in wet zones.
46,700
Home fires caused by electrical failure or malfunction annually in the US (NFPA)
390
Deaths per year from electrical fires in the US
$1.5B
Annual property damage from electrical fires
Permit Info
City of Vancouver: 360-487-7890. Unincorporated Clark County: L&I 360-896-2300. Newman Electric pulls all permits.
Customer Reviews
What Our Clients Say
"Just had a Newman Electric crew fix a scary electrical issue in my kitchen area. Two very efficient, friendly, & skilled gentlemen, James & Ryan G. These are the guys you want showing up for the job. Also, the office manager, Ashley, who contacted me to schedule their work, was equally efficient."
Central Point
Kitchen Electrical Fix
"I called Newman Electric about power to our bathroom outlets not working. They were in our neighborhood and said they'd be there in 15 minutes. They diagnosed the problem and put everything back together. An outside GFCI outlet had tripped when our siding was washed."
Verified Customer
GFCI Issue
"Ryan was responsive & great followup. We added in a surge protector to our home & issues resolved. Great service!"
Liliana A.
Surge Protector
Common Questions
Fire Prevention FAQ
Arc faults. When wiring is damaged, a connection is loose, or insulation is degraded, electricity can arc between conductors. That arc generates intense heat in a confined space, often inside a wall cavity surrounded by wood and insulation. AFCI breakers are designed to detect these arcs and cut power before ignition. Newman Electric installs AFCI protection on every applicable circuit.
Yes. Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok panels have a documented history of breakers failing to trip during overloads. The Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated them, and independent testing found failure rates as high as 30%. If your home has an FPE panel, Newman Electric can replace it with a modern panel that meets the 2023 NEC.
Aluminum branch wiring itself isn't the problem. It's the connections. Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper, which loosens connections over time. Those loose connections generate heat. Newman Electric either installs COPALUM connectors (the CPSC-recommended fix) or replaces the aluminum wiring with copper, depending on your home and budget.
If you modify any 15- or 20-amp circuit in a living space, the 2023 NEC requires AFCI protection on that circuit. If you haven't touched the wiring, the existing setup is grandfathered. But installing AFCI breakers proactively is one of the best fire prevention upgrades you can make. Ryan can evaluate your panel and tell you which circuits would benefit most.
Yes. Newman Electric performs electrical safety inspections focused on fire risk. We check your panel, test circuits, evaluate wiring condition, and look at every connection point we can access. You get a written report with findings and recommendations prioritized by fire risk. Call Ryan to schedule one in Vancouver, WA or anywhere in Clark County.
More Services
Related Electrical Services
Service Areas
Electrical Fire Prevention
in Vancouver, WA & Beyond
Newman Electric provides fire prevention electrical services to homes and businesses across Clark County and Cowlitz County. Panel replacements in Battle Ground, AFCI upgrades in Camas, wiring inspections in Salmon Creek. Ryan and the crew know the building stock in every neighborhood and the fire risks that come with each era of construction.
Worried About Your
Home's Electrical Safety?
Newman Electric identifies and fixes the electrical hazards that cause fires. Panel replacements, AFCI upgrades, wiring repairs, and full safety evaluations for homes across Vancouver, WA. Call Ryan for a free estimate.