When Defective Fire Extinguishers Take Lives

Around 2:30 am, a young man from West Chester, Pennsylvania was driving near a local university when his car suddenly veered off road where it hit a tree and burst into flames. First responders were on the scene within around five minutes.

As rescuers struggled to remove the man from the car, they tried to use fire extinguishers to knock down the fire. However, the safety devices didn’t work. Now, the company that made those defective fire extinguishers are facing federal scrutiny, and your safety may hinge on knowing what’s going on.

Beware! Defective Fire Extinguishers Are Being Recalled

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that some 40 million fire extinguishers manufactured by Kidde are to be recalled. These fire extinguishers were built with plastic handles and push buttons; however, they can become clogged and malfunction during an emergency. The nozzles to these devices may also detach and pose an impact hazard.

The defective extinguishers are spread across a range of over 140 models manufactured between 1973 and September 22, 2017. They are sold online and at stores like Walmart, Sears, Home Depot and many other stores. If you have a fire extinguisher in your home, it’s important to check to make sure you do not have an affected model.

The faulty extinguishers that didn’t work for Pennsylvania fire fighters may have caused the young man from West Chester to perish. His family has since taken Kidde—manufacturers of these defective fire extinguishers—to court and a possible settlement could be pending. However, these devices were sold all over the country, and many more families may have been hurt when they tried to use their extinguishers.

Be careful out there, and check to make sure your fire extinguisher is safe by going to this website.

This warning was brought to you by the product liability attorneys at Fiore & Barber, LLC—protecting consumers when they are in need.