Kidde Recalls Fire Extinguishers That May Not Work
Across the U.S. and Canada, over 40 million fire extinguishers are being recalled because they might not work in an emergency. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of one death because of the problem with the faulty extinguishers made by Kidde. It was also reported that in 2014, extinguishers didn’t work for emergency responders who were trying to fight a car fire after a crash.
There have been approximately 391 reports of failed or limited activation or nozzle detachment, with one fatality and an estimated 16 injuries, including smoke inhalation and minor burns, and around 91 reports of property damage.
The recall covers 134 models of push-button and plastic-handle extinguishers made from 1973 through August 2017. There were previous models recalled in March 2009 and February 2015, too. The extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver, and are either ABC- or BC-rated. You will be able to tell if your fire extinguisher is a recalled one by looking at the model number, which is printed on the fire extinguisher label. For units produced in 2007 and beyond, the date of manufacture is a 10-digit date code printed on the side of the cylinder, near the bottom. Digits 5 through 9 represent the day and year of manufacture in DDDYY format. Date codes for recalled models manufactured from January 2, 2012, through August 15, 2017, are 00212 through 22717. For units produced before 2007, a date code is not printed on the fire extinguisher.
The fire extinguishers were sold by Menards, Montgomery Ward, Sears, The Home Depot, Walmart, and other departments and home stores nationwide. Additionally, they were sold via online stores, such as Amazon and ShopKidde.com as well as sold with commercial trucks, RVs, and personal watercrafts.
If you’re an owner of a recalled extinguisher, contact Kidde to ask for a replacement and for instructions on how to return recalled models. Kidde can be reached at (855) 27-0773 or at www.kidde.com.
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