Fire Pit Lawsuits

Tabletop fire pits, especially those fueled by liquid alcohol, have faced numerous recalls recently and consumer warnings due to safety concerns such as invisible flames, flame jetting, and flashback fires. Such incidents have resulted in serious injuries, including severe burns, and at least two deaths thus far.

One of the major issues with these fire pits, is that alcohol flames can be invisible, which leads to accidental contact or unsafe refueling attempts. In addition, flame jetting, a sudden burst of flame that occurs during refueling, and flashback, where fire spreads back into the alcohol container, are significant risks, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Recently, the CPSC announced the recall of Colsen-branded tabletop fire pits due to the aforementioned hazards. The recall affected approximately 89,500 units that were sold between January 2020 and July 2024 at retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, Sharper Image, FlipShop, Grommet, Meta, and TikTok. The CPSC received 31 incident reports, including 19 burn injuries, and two cases with third-degree burns that covered at least 40% of the victim’s body.

Consumers warned about defects in recalled fire pits 

The CPSC issued a consumer alert regarding FLÎKRfire tabletop fireplaces due to risks similar to the aforementioned. The warning followed reports of injuries and deaths, including two fatalities that occurred while the consumer was attempting to refill a FLÎKRfire unit that appeared to be extinguished.

Both Colsen and FLÎKRfire fire pits were found to violate voluntary safety standard ASTM F3363-19, which was designed to prevent pool fires and flame jetting in liquid-burning fire pits.

Recommendations for consumers 

The CPSC is recommending that consumers immediately stop using the recalled fire pits. They are especially concerned with fire pits that violate the voluntary safety standard ASTM F3363-19. Consumers are advised not to resell or donate these products.

What is ASTM F3363-19? 

This standard enacts certain safety standards for portable, unvented devices that are designed to burn liquid or gel fuel, like the recalled tabletop fire pits. According to the CPSC, these products violate the standard by how they handle fuel and the potential for unsafe refueling.

The standard aims to prevent hazards associated with uncontrolled pool fires. These are fires where flames spread on a pooled or spilled liquid. The standard is also meant to prevent flame jetting, where flames erupt from the fuel canisters while refueling.

Tabletop fire pits like Colsen and FLÎKRfire require the user to pour liquid alcohol into an open container or bowl and then ignite the pooled liquid in the same location. This method of fueling directly violates ASTM F3363-19 since it creates a direct path for the fuel and flame. This increases the risks of both pool fires and flame jetting.

Talk to a Florida Fire Pit Injury Attorney Today 

Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of plaintiffs in lawsuits filed against the manufacturers and retailers of defective and dangerous fire pits. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your next steps right away.