North Carolina Governor Wants Fire Switch in Building Code

North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue is pushing for the state building code to require that new homes include an electronic switch that helps prevent house fires.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that Perdue urged the chairman of the Building Code Council not to roll back a requirement that arc fault circuit interrupters be used for all rooms of new homes.

The council appeared ready to roll back the requirement under pressure from the homebuilding industry. Builders say the devices add hundreds of dollars to the cost of a home and can trip when devices such as ceiling fans are turned on.

Perdue says the benefits of fire prevention outweigh the drawbacks. Council members are appointed by the governor’s office.