37.8 million Kidde fire extinguishers recalled; 1 death reported

WASHINGTON — Millions of Kidde fire extinguishers have been recalled after numerous reports of the life-saving equipment failing to work or the nozzle becoming detached, according to federal officials.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission said the extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to discharge, and can fail to activate in a fire emergency.

In addition, the CPSC said, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose a hazard.

The recall involves 134 models of Kidde fire extinguishers that were manufactured between Jan. 1, 1973 and Aug. 15, 2017, including models previously recalled in March 2009 and February 2015.

The extinguishers were sold in red, white and silver, and are either ABC- or BC-rated, the CPSC said.

The model number is printed on the fire extinguisher label.

For extinguishers manufactured 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 five through nine 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.

According to the CPSC, Kidde said it was aware of a 2014 death involving a car fire after a crash.

First responders could not get a recalled Kidde fire extinguisher to work.

The CPSC said there have been approximately 391 reports of failed or limited activation or nozzle detachment, including the death.

There have also been approximately 16 injuries, including smoke inhalation and minor burns, and approximately 91 reports of property damage, the CPSC said.

Cox Media Group