A lot of the houses in the Los Paseos neighborhood have aluminum wiring. I understand it can be a fire hazard. (See http://www.inspect-ny.com/aluminum.htm.)

I had an outlet start sparking a few days ago because of a loose connection. I wondered how others have dealt with this. According to the above web site, there are various techniques, including getting the house re-wired or using special pigtails on the connections. Does anyone have any opinions about these? How much does rewiring usually cost? (I have a feeling it is a LOT.) Is it overkill?

Also, I know of at least 3 house fires in the neighborhood in the last few years. I think one was caused by a spark from the fireplace. I wondered if the others were caused by wiring problems or something else?

Thanks.