Colsen Fire Pits LLC has issued a recall for approximately 89,500 indoor and outdoor tabletop fire pits due to a serious burn hazard, according to a recall notice published Thursday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The recall affects seven models of Colsen-branded fire pits, ranging from 5 to 18 inches wide, in gray or black colors and various shapes, including round, rectangular, hexagonal, square, and skull-shaped.
The CPSC warns that these fire pits can cause invisible alcohol flames and flame jetting when refilling the reservoir.
“Flame jetting is a serious event that can occur while pouring alcohol, when fire flashes back to the alcohol container and suddenly propels burning alcohol out of the container and onto people nearby,” the recall notice states.
Additionally, alcohol can splash or leak from the reservoir during use, potentially causing a flash fire that can spread rapidly.
The CPSC cautions that “use of the recalled fire pits can lead to injury quickly and unexpectedly, causing burns in less than one second, that can be serious and deadly.”
19 Burn-Related Injuries
The agency has received 31 reports of flame jetting and flames escaping from the product’s concrete container, which has resulted in 19 burn-related injuries. Two incidents caused third-degree burns to over 40 percent of the victims’ bodies, while at least six cases required surgery, prolonged medical treatment, or resulted in permanent disfigurement.
Anyone who has purchased or is in possession of one of these fire pits is urged to stop using it immediately and throw it away.
The company has stopped all sales of the product but lacks adequate financial resources to compensate customers or reimburse them.
The recalled fire pits were sold through various online retailers, including Amazon, Wayfair, and Walmart, from January 2020 to July 2024, priced between $40 and $90.
For more information, consumers can visit the CPSC’s website or contact Colsen Fire Pits LLC directly.
A statement from the company said, “we take safety very seriously,” and they requested anyone who purchased their product to throw them out and not resell or donate them.
Blow Torch-Like Effect
According to information from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Institute, flame jetting creates a blow torch-like effect that can be extremely dangerous and unexpected.
ACS said it can cause flames to shoot out 15 feet or even more.
They said the incident occurs when “a container of flammable liquid meets an ignition source” and has been known to happen in various settings, including classrooms, work receptions, and at teenage hangouts.