Kidde Fire Extinguisher Recall Involves Almost 40 Million Products Following Car Fire Death • THU NOV 02, 2017 6:01 PM CT

Kidde Fire Extinguisher Recall Involves Almost 40 Million Products • THU NOV 02, 2017 6:01 PM CT







A Kidde extinguisher in a car crash and fire involving the death of 22-year-old Brendan Rosko in Pennsylvania in August 2014 is considered to have contributed to his death. When Rosko's car struck a tree and burst into flames, first responders first tried to use fire extinguishers to put out the fire, but the extinguishers didn't work, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Rosko's family later received a settlement from Kidde, and the CPSC also cited 391 reports of Kidde fire extinguishers that failed to work or had nozzles that detached with sixteen of the incidents resulting in injuries -- including burns and smoke inhalation.
The recall involves 134 models of Kidde fire extinguishers manufactured between January 1, 1973 and August 15, 2017, including models that were 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 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.  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.

Consumers should immediately contact Kidde to request a free replacement fire extinguisher and for instructions on returning the recalled unit, as it may not work properly in a fire emergency. Kidde toll-free at 855-271-0773 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday, or online at www.kidde.com and click on “Product Safety Recall” for more information.