Fire Extinguisher Recall Affects Millions

Kidde, the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety equipment, issued a recall in early November, 2017 that includes 37.8 million fire extinguishers with plastic handles or plastic push-buttons manufactured between 1973 and August, 2017.

Models included in this historic recall include most Kidde fire extinguishers rated ABC or BC, the most common varieties purchased by consumers in North America for home use, and which are widely available at home improvement and hardware stores nationwide. Affected models were produced in red, white, or silver, and they can be easily identified by checking the date of manufacture for fire extinguishers produced during and after 2007. Earlier models that have both plastic handles and round-shouldered bottles are all included in the recall.

Kidde fire extinguishers are sold under a variety of in-house or “private label” branding, including Costco, Sears, Honeywell, Montgomery Ward, Traveler, and Fire Away. A complete list of the Kidde and private label models with plastic handles included in this product recall can be found at the Kidde website. A separate resource is available for affected fire extinguishers with plastic push-buttons.

Kidde states that while most of the devices have been reliable, however owners of these faulty fire extinguishers may only discover if their device is defective when they attempt to discharge it in an emergency. Affected fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate, and if they do manage to discharge, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard.

Kidde encourages anyone with a consumer model fire extinguisher affected by this important safety recall to contact the company at 855-271-0773 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, or contact them online at www.kidde.com for a replacement.

This safety recall does not include Kidde Professional or Badger branded fire extinguishers. Units with metal handles and metal valve assemblies are also excluded from the recall.