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The story of Red Comet Manufacturing Company starts in 1919 in Denver, Colorado. Red Comet began manufacturing fire safety equipment, successfully selling in several states. Many years later, in 1948, the company met a turning point in the form of a forward-looking businessman, Max Romero. Romero began selling extinguishers in Mexico, where he knew the language. In a short time, he became a general sales manager, helping to expand sales further into all states and overseas. Four years later, Romero bought the company and became its president.
Red Comet manufactured several types of fire extinguishers for homes, offices, and automobiles. Extinguishers were produced in sizes ranging from 1 quart to 100lbs. One of their most popular products was the “Fireman’s Kit,” which contained 6 to 8 fire grenades. These grenades were thrown at the base of a fire, allowing the fluid to splash over the flames. Red Comet was known for this “smash or slug” method of crashing glass and scattering the liquid in midair.
After World War II began, most of Red Comet’s extinguishers were purchased by the US Army and Navy, with retail sales to individuals and businesses declining. The company moved multiple times throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with the company splitting into two parts in the 1980s. In 2019, Pye Barker Fire and Safety acquired the Red Comet Manufacturing Company.
