Kidde is recalling 40.5 million fire extinguishers in the United States and Canada because officials say they might not work in an emergency. Photo courtesy
CPSC
Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Kidde is recalling more than 40 million fire extinguishers made in the United States and Canada in the last 45 years because they might not work properly during an emergency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
"The fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge and can fail to activate during a fire emergency," the CPSC said in a recall advisory. "In addition, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard."
Kiddle said nearly 400 extinguishers incidents have been documented so far, resulting in one death, 16 injuries and 91 reports of property damage.
In 2014, the family of Brendan Rosko filed a lawsuit against Kidde over a car crash that saw a device malfunction by emergency personnel. Kidde settled with the family.
"You're better off to have no fire extinguisher than a defective fire extinguisher," former California chief fire marshal James McMullen told CBS News. "If you attack a fire thinking you're going to put it out with a defective fire extinguisher and it doesn't work you put yourself in harm's way."
The recall also covers 134 plastic handle and push-button "Pindicator" models manufactured between 1995 and 2017, the agency said in a recall notice. All but about 3 million of the 40.5 million recalled extinguishers were made in the United States.
Kidde will replace the devices with new extinguishers made with metal parts.
The company urged consumers to consult their extinguisher's model number, serial number and date code and cross-check the device with the recall list and fill out a form.
Apart from being sold retail, the devices were also packaged with commercial trucks, recreational vehicles, personal watercraft and boats.
Founder Walter Kidde founded the company in 1917, which "produced the first integrated smoke detection and carbon dioxide extinguishing system for use onboard ships," according to the Kidde website.
