USCG Marine Safety Alert 21-25
In December 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Office of Design and Engineering Standards (CG-ENG) 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. This device was approved as a Red Aerial Pyrotechnic Flare Distress Signal under USCG approval number 160.066/8/4. 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/. They have 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The USCG Certificate of Approval (COA) 160.066/8/4, dated October 27, 2025, has been withdrawn and is now in a “Former-Do Not Use” status.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.
As a result of this recall the Coast Guard strongly recommends the following actions for 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.
This safety alert is provided for information purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational, or material requirement. This safety alert was developed by the Coast Guard Office of Design and Engineering Standards and the Office of Investigations and Casualty Analysis. Any questions or comments regarding this recall should be sent to: TypeApproval@uscg.mil.