If your home was built before 1990 check the name on your circuit breaker panel. Federal Pacific Electric breakers are known to cause fires. Although breakers are meant to keep you and your home safe from fire, this brand may actually cause a fire. Experts say the now bankrupt company Federal Pacific Electric cheated during the tests and inspections to gain approval. These tests and inspections were performed by The Underwriters Laboratory, a non-profit product safety testing and certification organization. Nearly every devise sold in the United States carrying electricity is tested and inspected by UL.  In the case of FPE breakers, in the early 80’s Underwriters Laboratory and Federal Pacific Electric removed the UL certification, but by that time millions of them were already sold. Not every Federal Pacific Electric breaker is faulty but if you have one it is strongly recommended that you call an electrician to have it inspected. Although this may be an old story, local fire inspectors feel there may still be thousands of these panels in homes throughout the tri-state area including Rockland County.  Each year, Federal Pacific Electric breakers may be involved in as many 2800 fires in the United States.