Kidde Recalls Fire Extinguishers with Plastic Handles Due to Failure to Discharge
Kidde is recalling fire extinguishers with plastic handles and Pindicator models because they may fail to discharge or have nozzles detach. One death and 16 injuries have been reported.
What this means for you
Highest-severity recall. Risk of serious injury or death is documented or strongly suspected. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.
Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly reports one death involving the recalled product, which mandates a severity score of 5 (Critical) according to the rubric.
Plain-English summary
Kidde is recalling approximately 37.8 million fire extinguishers with plastic handles and push-button Pindicator models in the United States, and an additional 2.7 million in Canada. The recall includes 134 models of plastic handle extinguishers manufactured between January 1, 1973, and August 15, 2017, as well as eight models of Pindicator extinguishers manufactured between August 11, 1995, and September 22, 2017. These products were sold at major retailers including Menards, Montgomery Ward, Sears, The Home Depot, and Walmart, as well as online at Amazon.com and ShopKidde.com. The recall also includes models previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015.
The fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge, potentially failing to activate during a fire emergency. Additionally, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard. The company is aware of one death involving a car fire following a crash where emergency responders could not get the extinguishers to work. There have been approximately 391 reports of failed or limited activation or nozzle detachment, approximately 16 injuries including smoke inhalation and minor burns, and approximately 91 reports of property damage.
Consumers should immediately contact Kidde to request a free replacement fire extinguisher and for instructions on returning the recalled unit. The model number 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, where digits five through nine represent the day and year in DDDYY format. Date codes for recalled plastic-handle models manufactured from January 2, 2012, through August 15, 2017, are 00212 through 22717.
The recalled product
- Product
- Kidde fire extinguishers with plastic handles
- Affected units
- 37
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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