37.8 million Kidde fire extinguishers recalled because they might fail
If you're one of the many people renting an apartment in Minnesota, the landlord usually needs to have a working fire extinguisher readily available and within 75 feet of you at all times.
Or maybe you're just safety-conscious and have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
Well, if that fire extinguisher is from the popular brand Kidde ... it might not work at the time you need it most.
Kidde is recalling 37.8 million of its fire extinguishers in the United States because they may not function during a fire. That's because they can get clogged up, or require a huge amount of force to discharge.
And the company has been selling these potentially faulty extinguishers for more than 40 years.
The recall, announced Thursday morning, impacts 134 Kidde models, manufactured from 1973 up through Aug. 15 of 2017.
Go here to see the list of recalled models – most are plastic handle models, and a few are push-button "Pindicator" extinguishers.
If you have one of the affected models, contact Kidde through this website immediately to get a replacement. (And hopefully that one will actually work.)
Where they were sold
Basically everywhere.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says these extinguishers could have been bought at "department, home and hardware stores nationwide" including Menards, Montgomery Ward, Sears, The Home Depot, and Walmart.
They were online too, through Kidde's website or Amazon, and potentially other sellers.
The price was generally $12-$50, though one model cost as much as $200.
Oh, these fire extinguishers were also packaged with RVs, boats, commercial trucks, and other vehicles.
One person died, others have been injured
One person was killed as a result of the faulty extinguishers, according to the safety commission. It happened in 2014, when emergency responders couldn't get a Kidde fire extinguisher to function.
In addition, there have been 16 reports of injuries (such as smoke inhalation or minor burns), as well as property damage.
In all, they've got 391 instances of a Kidde fire extinguisher malfunctioning. Not only is there a failed discharge, but sometimes the nozzle can detach with such force, it can hit someone (or something) incredibly hard.
