The Kidde company has recalled millions of fire extinguishers, possibly including some that were distributed last year at the Landaff Volunteer Fire Association’s extinguisher training and smoke alarm giveaway.

Kidde will replace affected fire extinguishers at no cost to consumers.

Kidde says, ‘certain fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to activate, posing a risk of failure to discharge. In addition, the nozzle can detach with enough force to pose an impact hazard.’

According to Consumer Reports, ‘The recalled fire extinguishers came in red, silver, and white and were sold nationwide for $12 to $200 at department stores, hardware stores, and home improvement stores, as well as at online retailers, including Amazon and ShopKidde. The fire extinguishers were also sold with some commercial trucks, recreational vehicles, personal watercraft, and boats.’

The Kidde company indicated ‘The product recall involves two styles of Kidde disposable fire extinguishers: plastic handle fire extinguishers and plastic push-button fire extinguishers.’

You can determine whether your extinguisher(s) are affected on this page:

http://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/support/product-alerts/recall-kidde-fire-extinguisher/. If you have one or more affected extinguishers, click on the big red ‘affected’ button at the bottom of the page for instructions to get replacements.

Or, you can call Kidde at 855-271-0773. Be sure to have your extinguisher(s) handy when you call.

In general, according to Consumer Reports, ‘Though the recall goes back 44 years, no one should keep a fire extinguisher that long. “If you have a rechargeable fire extinguisher of any age—regardless of whether it’s covered by the recall— and you are not sure if it is in good working order, you should replace it immediately,” says Don Huber, director of product safety for Consumer Reports. “If you have a nonrechargeable fire extinguisher in your home 12 years older than the date of manufacture, you should also replace it. That’s because the fire retardant chemicals lose effectiveness over time.”’

For additional information see https://www.consumerreports.org/fire-extinguishers/kidde-fire-extinguisher-recall/

Submitted by Florence Webb

President, LVFA