Method for the detection of arc flashes within an electric circuit having a mains frequency, an electrical current and an electrical voltage, - wherein an occurring interfering signal that has a frequency below an NF1 frequency and a current strength of the electrical current of the electric circuit above an NF1 threshold defines an NF1 signal, - wherein a number of occurring interfering signals that have a frequency below an HF2 frequency are combined to form an HF2 signal, should the number of occurring interfering signals be greater than or equal to an HF2 number and should the time lag between two successive interfering signals be shorter than an HF2 time, - wherein a number of time periods, whose respective length is an accumulation length and which are temporally directly successive to one another, and within which at least one respective HF2 signal is located, define an accumulation if the number of time periods is greater than or equal to an accumulation number, - wherein a WET2 accumulation counter is increased by one if an accumulation is identified, - wherein, when there is a lag between two accumulations which is greater than or equal to a (third) accumulation time, either an NF period is started if the WET2 accumulation counter is greater than a first WET2 threshold, or the WET2 accumulation counter is reset to zero if the WET2 accumulation counter is less than or equal to the first WET2 threshold, - wherein an NF1 counter is increased by one if an NF1 signal is measured within the NF period, - wherein the arc flash is detected and/or reported if the NF1 counter exceeds a second WET2 threshold within the NF period, and - wherein the WET2 accumulation counter and the NF1 counter are reset to zero after expiry of the NF period. - wherein an occurring interfering signal that has a frequency below an NF1 frequency and a current strength of the electrical current of the electric circuit above an NF1 threshold defines an NF1 signal, - wherein a number of occurring interfering signals that have a frequency below an HF2 frequency are combined to form an HF2 signal, should the number of occurring interfering signals be greater than or equal to an HF2 number and should the time lag between two successive interfering signals be shorter than an HF2 time, - wherein a number of time periods, whose respective length is an accumulation length and which are temporally directly successive to one another, and within which at least one respective HF2 signal is located, define an accumulation if the number of time periods is greater than or equal to an accumulation number, - wherein a WET2 accumulation counter is increased by one if an accumulation is identified, - wherein, when there is a lag between two accumulations which is greater than or equal to a (third) accumulation time, either an NF period is started if the WET2 accumulation counter is greater than a first WET2 threshold, or the WET2 accumulation counter is reset to zero if the WET2 accumulation counter is less than or equal to the first WET2 threshold, - wherein an NF1 counter is increased by one if an NF1 signal is measured within the NF period, - wherein the arc flash is detected and/or reported if the NF1 counter exceeds a second WET2 threshold within the NF period, and - wherein the WET2 accumulation counter and the NF1 counter are reset to zero after expiry of the NF period.