2.7 million Canadian fire extinguishers recalled for being defective

Quest

An American company is recalling 37 million fire extinguishers in the U.S. and 2.7 million in Canada because they can get clogged or require excessive force to discharge and won't work in an emergency.

Kidde Corporation, based in North Carolina., said Thursday it is recalling 134 different brands of fire extinguishers manufactured between Jan. 1, 1973, and Aug. 15, 2017. The recall includes models that were recalled two years ago.

• A complete list of affected models can be found here.

The U.S. safety regulator, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in a release it is aware of 391 instances in which the extinguishers failed, which resulted in at least 16 injuries, 91 instances of property damage and one death, in 2014, when emergency responders could not get an extinguisher to work following a car crash.

The CPSC is recalling the fire extinguishers in conjunction with Health Canada, which posted a recall notice on its website around midday on Thursday.

Health Canada says it has received two reports of failed activation in Canada, one involving property damages. No one was injured in either incident.

Anyone with an affected fire extinguisher can contact the company at 1-855-233-2882, and a replacement model will be sent at no charge within about two weeks. No proof of purchase is required.