New Jersey company recalls 2 million barbecue lighters because they could pose a fire hazard

Thursday, February 10th 2005, 3:27 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A New Jersey company is recalling about 2 million multipurpose barbecue lighters because they fail to meet federal standards for child resistant mechanisms, so they could pose a fire hazard, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.

Arett Sales Corporation of Cherry Hill, N.JU., has not received any reports of incidents or injuries, the recall said.

The gas-fueled lighters do not have safety mechanisms that meet federal standards, which require multipurpose lighters to have the same level of child resistance as that called for in the safety standard for cigarette lighters. The child resistant mechanism must operate safely, function for the expected life of the lighter, and be difficult to deactivate. The child resistant mechanism also must automatically reset after each use, the CPSC said in the recall.

``Kitchen Works,'' made in China, have an orange or red plastic body and a silver-colored metal nozzle. Each lighter is 10 3/4 inches long.

The lighters were sold at Dollar stores nationwide from January 2001 through July 2004 for about $1.

Consumers should stop using the lighters immediately and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Lighters should not be incinerated or punctured. Consumers can call ASC at 800-431-1212 for more information.