@matigo No. Nothing bad enough to arc and the improper ground wouldn't do it either. All that's happening is a minute current drain. Some of those things are very, very sensitive. All it takes is a slight drain to trip them instead of an actual short circuit.
If they hadn't been wired in a series, the problems would have been easier to track down as only the effected outlet would trip.
I'm going to rewire every damned outlet in the house. There are many because the builder obviously envisioned ten million appliances and lamps being used in the house.