The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·00188·Announced 2000-09-27

First Alert Fire Extinguishers Recalled for Failure to Discharge

CPSC and BRK Brands recall about 600,000 First Alert fire extinguishers that may fail to discharge when activated, posing a fire-related injury risk.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product (fire extinguisher) where the failure to function poses a risk of fire-related injuries, but no injuries have been reported, fitting the High severity criteria.

Plain-English summary

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and BRK Brands Inc. are recalling about 600,000 First Alert fire extinguishers. The recall involves model FE1A10G units with serial numbers beginning with RH, RK, RL, RP, RT, RU, or RW. These extinguishers are either red or white and feature "First Alert" on the label and pressure gauge.

The hazard is that the extinguishers can fail to discharge when the trigger is activated, which prevents them from putting out a fire and puts consumers at risk of fire-related injuries. CPSC and BRK have received five reports from consumers regarding this failure, but no injuries have been reported.

The affected fire extinguishers were sold at home centers, mass merchandisers, and hardware stores nationwide from September 1999 through September 2000 for between $9 and $15. Consumers with recalled units should contact First Alert at (866) 669-2736 or visit the First Alert website to receive a coupon for a new extinguisher.

The recalled product

Product
First Alert fire extinguishers
Affected units
600,000

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.