After 19 reported burn injuries—six of which were serious enough to require surgery, admission to a burn treatment facility, or physical therapy—several models of tabletop fire pits should be immediately discarded.
Recall on Nearly 90,000 Outdoor Items Sold at Walmart, Wayfair, Amazon and Others
Published on Oct. 17, 2024
Fire pits and bonfires offer a cozy way to extend your time spent outdoors when fall and winter temperatures set in. And while all fire pits come with a risk of burn injury, several models of tabletop fire pits from one brand are being pulled from shelves after posing a uniquely frightening safety hazard.
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a recall affecting 89,500 units of Colsen-branded fire pits, which were widely sold between January 2020 and July 2024 across major retail chains such as Wayfair, Walmart, and Sharper Image, as well as online through the company’s website, Amazon, FlipShop, Grommet, Meta, and TikTok.
Seven tabletop fire pit models, each sold with an accompanying Colsen-branded fire extinguisher, were included in the recall. The affected units are gray or black in color, “round, rectangular, hexagonal, square, or skull-shaped,” and sized between 5 to 18 inches wide. The fire pit models were originally sold for $40 to $90.
The reason for the recall was a faulty design which causes alcohol to spill, leak, splash, or spray, especially when the fire pit is refilled. This can cause “flame jetting,” which the CPSC describes as “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 product can also produce a flash fire if the dispersed alcohol catches flame. This is a sudden and intense burst of hot flames that can instantly expand beyond the pit’s protective concrete bowl.
“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,” the CPSC warned.
The Colsen website currently also includes information about the recall: “At Colsen, we take safety very seriously. That’s why we, with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a recall of all Colsen-branded fire pits due to a risk of serious burn injury from flame jetting and fire spreading hazards.”
CPSC is urging customers to immediately discontinue use of the dangerous fire pits and discard them, emphasizing that you should not resell or donate them. No refunds or product replacements are being offered to consumers by the Florida-based company. However, you can contact the company with any questions by email at [email protected] or online at https://colsenfirepits.com/.
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