More Than 40 Million Fire Extinguishers Recalled for Safety Hazard

An image of the fire extinguishers recalled by Kiddie.

Two types of Kidde fire extinguishers are being recalled, those with those with plastic handles, and those with a push-button on top. (Image credit: CPSC)

More than 40 million fire extinguishers sold over a four-decade period have been recalled because they may not work to put out fires, according to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The extinguishers, sold by Kidde, can become clogged or "require excessive force to discharge," and fail to work during a fire emergency, the CPSC said. In addition, the nozzles on some of the extinguishers can detach with enough force to potentially injure someone.

So far, the CPSC has received nearly 400 reports of cases in which the recalled fire extinguishers failed to work properly. These included 91 reports of property damage, 16 reports of injuries (such as smoke inhalation and minor burns) and one death. The death, which occurred in 2014, happened when emergency responders tried to put out a car fire with a Kidde fire extinguisher, but could not get the extinguisher to work, CPSC said.

The recall involves two styles of Kidde fire extinguishers: those with plastic handles and those with a push-button on top. In total, 40.5 million fire extinguishers manufactured from 1973 to 2017 are being recalled.

Customers with the recalled fire extinguishers should contact Kidde to request a free replacement extinguisher. More information is available on Kidde's website.

Original article on Live Science.

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.