Updated 10 November 2026 · ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd., Chon Buri, Thailand, inventor, original patent owner, and manufacturer of the ELIDE FIRE® device since 1998
In short. CPSC Warning 24-170 is a United States consumer warning, published on 28 March 2024 and updated on 17 July 2026, about units of models ELB01, ELB02-1 and ELB02-2 sold online at elidefireus.com by Elide Fire USA, now E FIRE USA. It is not a recall or a ban. CPSC judged the product against UL 299, the US standard for pressurized hand-held dry-chemical extinguishers. ELIDE FIRE® is not a hand-held extinguisher: it is an automatic device mounted at the point of risk that activates on contact with flame, with fire ratings set under Thai national standard TIS 3413-2565 (TISI licence 7091-1/3413). ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. disagrees with the choice of UL 299 as the benchmark, has challenged the notice, and continues to contest it.
What is CPSC Warning 24-170?
CPSC Warning 24-170 is a consumer warning, not a recall or a ban. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission published it on 28 March 2024 and updated it on 17 July 2026 (CPSC page). It concerns models ELB01, ELB02-1 and ELB02-2, sold to US consumers on elidefireus.com by Elide Fire USA (now E FIRE USA). ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. does not operate that website. These earlier models have since been succeeded by our current TECHIDEAS and LOVING CARE models as part of our ongoing product development.
Why did CPSC issue the warning?
CPSC compared the product with UL 299, the US standard for pressurized hand-held dry-chemical fire extinguishers. It states that the product does not meet UL 299 and lacks a pressure gauge, a locking device, a self-closing valve, and a nozzle. Those parts belong to an extinguisher that a person carries and operates. An automatic device mounted over a risk has none of them by design, in the same way that a sprinkler head has no gauge or nozzle for a person to aim and is judged by its own standard. The warning does not publish any fire-test results for the device.
Why is UL 299 the wrong standard for ELIDE FIRE®?
UL 299 is written for a pressurized cylinder that a person carries to a fire, aims, and operates. Each part that CPSC listed exists to make that kind of extinguisher safe and usable in a person's hands. ELIDE FIRE® works differently: it holds no stored pressure, needs no operator, and is already in place at the risk when a fire starts. The table shows what each part does on a hand-held extinguisher and how ELIDE FIRE® meets the same need.
| Part listed by CPSC | What it does on a hand-held extinguisher (UL 299) | How ELIDE FIRE® meets the same need |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure gauge or indicator | Shows that the cylinder still holds the gas pressure it needs to discharge. | The device is not pressurized, so there is no pressure to lose. Readiness is checked by inspecting the device and its mounting. |
| Locking device (safety pin) | Stops the handle from being squeezed by accident. | There is no handle or trigger. The device activates only when flame reaches it. Its safety in handling, storage, and transport is assessed by EU Notified Body 1395 under the Pyrotechnic Articles Directive 2013/29/EU. |
| Self-closing valve | Lets the user stop and restart the discharge. | The device is designed to release all of its powder at once, at the fire. |
| Nozzle or hose | Lets the user aim the powder at the base of the fire. | The device is mounted at the point of risk, so it is already at the fire when it activates and spreads its powder around itself. |
For the same reason, sprinkler heads and fixed automatic systems are tested to their own standards, not to UL 299. ELIDE FIRE® is tested to a national standard written for automatic fire-fighting balls, and its fire ratings are measured with the test methods of UL 711 and AS/NZS 1850, which are recognised methods for rating fire extinguishers.
NFPA 10, the US standard for portable fire extinguishers, itself makes room for new technology. It states that "nothing in this standard shall be construed as a restriction on new technologies or alternative arrangements, provided that the level of protection as herein described is not lowered and is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction." ELIDE FIRE® is offered on that basis: as an additional, automatic layer of protection, accepted by the local fire authority, never as a replacement for the extinguishers a site is required to have.
Is the ELIDE FIRE® device banned or recalled?
No. Warning 24-170 is a consumer warning, not a recall and not a ban.
What is the ELIDE FIRE® device, and how is it different from a fire extinguisher?
ELIDE FIRE® is an automatic fire-extinguishing device filled with high-performance extinguishing powder. It is mounted at the point of risk, for example above electrical equipment or inside a cabinet or panel, and bursts when flame reaches it, spreading the powder over the fire with no one present. It is designed mainly for indoor use and enclosures; outdoor use is limited to specific applications such as electrical poles. In an emergency, with nothing else at hand, the LOVING CARE, TECHIDEAS, LIFESAVER and FULL LIFESAVER models can be thrown or rolled from a distance into an early-stage fire of ordinary combustible materials, after raising the alarm in an emergency. It is never thrown at a flammable-liquid fire, and it adds protection: it does not replace the extinguishers or systems that local regulations require.
Is ELIDE FIRE® certified, and to what?
- Fire ratings: Thai Industrial Standards Institute licence 7091-1/3413, issued 5 September 2023 under TIS 3413-2565, the Thai national standard written for automatic fire-fighting balls (published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 20 October 2022). Ratings: TECHIDEAS (6 inch) 2A 5B 1C 2F; LOVING CARE (4 inch) 1A 2B 1C 1F; engine-compartment models add 1G. The fire tests follow the methods of UL 711 and AS/NZS 1850.
- Product safety: EC Type Certificate PA 1395-0128/2010-TH from EU Notified Body 1395, under Directive 2013/29/EU and EN 16263.
- Quality: ISO 9001:2015 certificate TUV100 12 3529 from TÜV SÜD.
- Independent laboratory tests: PSB (Singapore, 2004), National Test House (India, 2008), SABS (South Africa, 2008), SIRIM (Malaysia, 2016), CESMEC (Chile, 2016), INTI (Argentina, 2017), Bureau Veritas (Mexico, 2017), and the accredited fire laboratory of the Slovak Ministry of the Interior (2011).
- Long-term performance: Thailand's Department of Science Service tested devices about five years old in 2017; they still extinguished 2-A, 5-B, and C test fires.
The device is not UL-listed and does not claim conformity with UL 299, NFPA 10, or EN 3, which are written for hand-held portable extinguishers. Certificates are listed at elidefire.com/pages/compliance.
What do the ELIDE FIRE® fire ratings mean?
A fire rating states which kinds of fire a device has put out in a standard test, and how large that test fire was. The letter is the class of fire, and the number is the size: the higher the number, the larger the test fire. Class A is ordinary combustible materials such as wood, paper, and cloth; Class B is flammable liquids and gases; Class C is fire in electrical equipment, tested inside an electrical breaker cabinet; Class F is a fire that spreads fast and reaches a high temperature, tested as a wood-and-fuel fire inside an enclosure; and Class G is a flammable-liquid, gas, or electrical fire in a vehicle or machine engine compartment, tested on an engine with a gas leak. TIS 3413-2565 does not cover Class D (metal) or Class K (cooking oil and fat) fires. TECHIDEAS (6 inch) is rated 2A 5B 1C 2F and LOVING CARE (4 inch) 1A 2B 1C 1F.
What else does the standard test before a licence is granted?
Besides the fire tests, TIS 3413-2565 checks that the device is safe and durable where it is installed. The tests include:
- heat exposure at 85 °C for 24 hours;
- burst-safety test;
- compression to 150 kg;
- a drop from 2 metres onto concrete;
- a limit of 120 dBA on the sound of activation;
- humidity, and vibration for the engine-compartment models.
The licence also covers inspection of the manufacturing process by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute, and the factory works under an ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
Has ELIDE FIRE® been used by fire services?
Yes. ELIDE FIRE® has been made since 1998, and fire and civil-defence services in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia have tested, used, accepted or recommended it:
- Ukraine: the Kyiv Oblast emergency service recorded the device in 15 incidents (11 operational, 4 trials) and recommended 10 per fire engine (2012); the State Emergency Service recommended it for enclosed premises at local process hazards (2014).
- Romania: listed in the register of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (2016); the county fire service in Covasna carries it on a fire engine (2023).
- Uganda: after demonstrations, the Police Fire Brigade confirmed it worked both fixed and thrown on class A, B, C and energised-equipment fires, and wrote that it "does not replace any existing fire suppression systems but rather reinforce them" (2009).
- Nigeria: the Lagos State Fire Service found it suitable for fires at the incipient stage when appropriately installed (2006); the Federal Fire Service, Lagos Command, found it "very effective and good for First Aid fire fighting and protection" (2006); the FCT Fire Service in Abuja found it "effective for indoor installations" (2009).
- Ghana: tested by the Ghana National Fire Service and accepted for import and sale (2007).
- Algeria: assessed by the Directorate General of Civil Protection as a first-intervention device (2015).
- South Africa: in a Mangaung Emergency Services demonstration, it activated by itself within 15 seconds on a stove-top kitchen fire, and the service called it a useful addition to conventional protection.
- Gulf states: accepted by the civil-defence authorities of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain (2007).
- Indonesia: tested by the Jakarta Fire Department laboratory (2016).
These services describe it the same way: a first intervention at the start of a fire and an addition to required equipment. That is how ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. recommends it is used.
What has ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO done about the warning?
In April 2026, ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. asked CPSC to retract the warning and sent its certificates and test evidence. In July 2026, CPSC revised the wording and kept the notice in place. The company disagrees with the choice of UL 299 as the benchmark, has challenged the notice, and continues to contest it. It is ready to demonstrate the mounted, flame-activated device, or to arrange a witnessed test to an agreed protocol, for any authority or buyer. This page will be updated when the position changes.
"We invented this technology, and we are ready to show any authority how it works and where its limits are."
— Phanawatnan Kaimart, Chief Executive Officer and inventor, ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd.
Who sold the products named in the warning?
CPSC names Elide Fire USA, now trading as E FIRE USA, and the website elidefireus.com. Elide Fire USA was formerly a US distributor of ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO does not operate that website.
Are ELB01 and ELB02 current ELIDE FIRE® models?
No. ELB01 and ELB02 were first-generation designs and are discontinued. They have been succeeded by the current TECHIDEAS (6 inch) and LOVING CARE (4 inch) models, which the original inventor developed from more than 28 years of manufacturing and field experience, with a refined activation design that responds to flame reaching the device from any side. Copies may imitate the appearance of an ELIDE FIRE® device, but they are not made to our design, are not produced under our quality controls, and are not covered by our certificates.
How can I tell a genuine ELIDE FIRE® device from a copy?
Copies and imitations are sold, some under similar names. The certificates and test reports above belong to genuine ELIDE FIRE® devices made by ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd. in Thailand; copies are not covered by them. Every genuine unit carries a code that can be checked at elidefire.com/verify-product. Buy only from authorized distributors.
When comparing any automatic fire ball, ask four questions of the supplier's documents:
- Is there a fire rating? It should give classes and sizes under a named fire standard. A chemical-content certificate such as RoHS is not a fire test.
- Is there a notified body number? A genuine EU certificate names the notified body that issued it. For ELIDE FIRE®, it is Notified Body 1395.
- Does it name the product and the maker? The certificate should name the model and the manufacturer, not "N/A" or another brand.
- Is it current? Check the dates and confirm with the body that issued it.
Official statement (PDF)
Contact
Authorities, buyers, and journalists: contact@elidefire.com. ELIDE FIRE BALL PRO Co., Ltd., 53 Moo 6, Naklua, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150, Thailand.