Why is arcing considered a serious problem?
By its very nature arcing develops heat in a localized area and produces hot embers in the form of sparks which can then ignite dust, wiring insulation, or other combustibles that may be nearby. This heat may be in an enclosed ceiling or wall outlet box, thereby causing a fire that can go undetected by people or smoke detectors until the fire is beyond control. Also, in most cases the circuit breaker cannot see or detect arcing until it is so damaging that a massive short circuit current has developed.
