The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has sent out a warning following a manufacturer recall of nearly 50,000 affected signal flares.
The USCG Office of Design and Engineering Standards was notified of a manufacturer recall of the Orion Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signal (also called Orion XLT Skyblazer self-contained red meteor flare) due to three incidents of spontaneous combustion. There were no reported injuries.
Affected flares were manufactured between March 1, 2025, and November 24, 2025, and have expiration dates of August 2028 through April 2029.
As shown in Figures 1-3, the Skyblazer II Red XLT was sold in a retail Kayak/Paddle kit of two signals (Item #769), a retail set of four signals (Item #859), and a commercial bulk pack of 36 signals (Item #855) to liferaft manufacturers and servicing stations.
Orion issued an Urgent Safety Recall and Product Quarantine Notice on November 24, 2025, on their website: https://www.orionsignals.com/project/recall-notices/.
The company has contacted their retail and commercial customers of the 49,304 affected signals, as well as provided flyers to notify customers entering retail locations.
Orion is working with the USCG, the Federal Aviation Administration, and IMANNA Laboratory, Inc. to develop design changes and stricter testing procedures. Orion will contact customers to provide more information on collection/destruction of quarantined products and replacement products.
The USCG Certificate of Approval (COA) 160.066/8/4, dated October 27, 2025, has been withdrawn and is now in a “Former-Do Not Use” status. Once the new design and additional testing have been approved by the USCG, this modified signal will be approved under a new USCG approval number.
Signals manufactured before March 1, 2025, are unaffected and remain safe for use.
The U.S. Coast Guard strongly recommends customers and end users of Orion Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signals:
- Check the item numbers and expiration dates of your Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signals. If the signals are sealed inside liferaft containers, check with your point of purchase for this information.
- Immediately remove from service Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signals (Item # 769/859/855) with expiration dates of August 2028 through April 2029.
- Quarantine all impacted signals and store them in a safe and secure location away from combustible products until further direction is provided by Orion.
Download the PDF: USCG Safety Alert 21-25 - Orion Skyblazer II Red XLT Aerial Signal