Our gas dryer caught on fire in our home in February of 2011. The fire happened due to a faulty electrical system in our home. We also had a literally 40 year old circuit breaker in our home that was not replaced even in 2011. A new washer circuit was replaced with a new one in 2011. Would our old "main" circuit breaker have been responsible, partially, for the fire being that it was so old? How is the washer circuit electrically/indirectly affiliated with the main circuit breaker? If the washer circuit was replaced in year 2011, should the main circuit breaker have been replaced at the same to prevent any further fire? Or would it not have mattered or made a difference when the old "main" circuit breaker was not replaced? Please take your time responding. Thank you Donna Dreffs

How is the main circuit breaker affiliated with the washer circuit electrical-wise?

We cannot know what was done without seeing the breaker panel. What was supposed to be done and what was actually done can be two different things. The screws on the breakers and on the receptacles loosen over time and have to be tightened or there will be a fire as in your case. It's almost always caused by loose screws. You don't find out until the house burns down unless you go into each box and tighten up the screws. It would be a good idea to do it throughout your house. I bet you will find quite a few "surprises" and close calls, I did recently and had to replace several outlets.