Thomasville Fire Rescue has been notified of a fire extinguisher recall that could impact homes in the Thomasville area. Kidde, a manufacturer of fire extinguishers, has announced a recall of almost 38 million fire extinguishers nationwide. According to Fire Marshal Tim Connell, the affected extinguishers may not perform when an emergency situation occurs.
“The fire extinguishers that are part of this recall can become clogged or require an excessive amount of force to get them to discharge,” said Connell. “In some situations, the extinguisher may also fail to activate. Either situation is alarming and could make an emergency situation even more dire.”
Connell said that the department was informed of the recall by the U.S. Fire Administration. He said that the agency is aware of at least one death that resulted from a failed extinguisher.
“There have been almost 400 reports of problems related to these Kidde fire extinguishers,” he said. “The worst thing that could happen in that type of situation is to have your extinguisher malfunction. That can change an emergency situation to a life and death situation very quickly,”
The recall includes Kidde plastic handle fire extinguishers. Thomasville Fire Rescue urges Thomasville citizens to verify the safety of their extinguishers by visiting the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.gov. Additional information is also available at www.kidde.com.