Nearly 90,000 Colsen fire pits were recalled due to a “flame jetting” fire hazard that burned at least 19 people, including some who were burned over 40% of their body.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Colsen Fire Pit induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was burned by a Colsen Fire Pit, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Colsen Fire Pits Recalled for Flame Jetting Hazard
In October 2024, Colsen recalled about 89,500 fire pits due to a risk of serious burn injuries from “flame jetting” and fires spreading. At least 19 people were burned, some quite seriously.
How Many People Were Burned?
Colsen fire pits were linked to 31 reports of flame jetting and flames escaping from the concrete container, resulting in 19 reports of burn injuries.
Two people suffered extremely serious burns, with 3rd-degree burns to more than 40% of their body. At least 6 incidents involved severe burns, hospitalization, scarring, or disfigurement.
What Is The Risk?
At least 6 people were severely burned by a Colsen fire pit and suffered complications, such as:
- Surgery
- Prolonged medical treatment
- Admission to burn treatment facilities
- Short-term disability
- Loss of function
- Physical therapy
- Scarring
- Permanent disfigurement
What Is Flame Jetting?
Flame jetting is a serious safety hazard that can occur when pouring liquid alcohol to refill a Colsen fire pit. Alcohol flames can be invisible.
While pouring liquid alcohol, the stream of liquid can catch on fire unexpectedly. Flame jetting occurs “when fire flashes back into the alcohol container suddenly propels burning alcohol out of the container and onto people nearby,” according to the recall warning.
Flash Fires Are Another Hazard
Flash fires are another dangerous hazard. Alcohol can splash, spill or leak out of the fire pit reservoir during use, causing a flash fire that can spread and create larger, hotter flames that can escape the unit.
These life-threatening burns can happen in an instant:
“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.”
What Are Colsen Fire Pits?
Colsen® fire pits are open concrete containers that burn liquid alcohol and shoot up flames. There is no glass around the flame. Instead, these tiny fire pits were advertised as decorative tabletop accessories.
The fire pits were designed to burn liquid alcohol. Colsen recommends using 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, a highly-flammable and smokeless fuel.
Colsen fire pits are small, ranging in size from just 5-in. to 18-in. wide. They came in two colors (black or gray). There were 7 models, including shapes like a skull, rectangle, hexagon, square, or round.
Where Were Colsen Fire Pits Sold?
The recalled Colsen fire pits were sold nationwide from January 2020 to July 2024 on Amazon.com, Wayfair, Walmart, Shaper Image, FlipShop, Grommet, Facebook (Meta) and TikTok.
What Should I Do?
Colsen is not offering a refund because it “does not have the financial resources to offer a remedy to consumers,” according to the recall. Instead, consumers should immediately stop using the fire pits and dispose of them. It is illegal to donate or re-sell a recalled product.
Have Any Lawsuits Been Filed?
Yes, at least two lawsuits have been filed by people who were severely burned by Colsen fire pits as a result of flame jetting, fires and explosions. Some of the survivors have published graphic photos of their burn injuries to raise awareness. One person said “suddenly it exploded shooting flames like a blow torch.”
Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit Filed by Married Couple in Florida
One of the first Colsen fire pit lawsuits was filed by a married couple against Wayfair and the manufacturers.
The lawsuit was filed by Nicholas and Kayla H., a married couple from Florida. They claim that when he was refilling the fire pit, Kayla “felt a ‘whoosh’ and became engulfed in flames,” resulting in severe burns.
The defendants are Colsen Fire Pits LLC, Gusar LLC, and the online retailer Wayfair LLC. These companies are accused of selling a defective product, failing to warn consumers about the fire hazard, or the risk of severe burn injuries when refilling the fire pit with alcohol.
The lawsuit was filed on April 25, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida — Hominski et al v. Gusar, LLC et al — Case Number 1:24-cv-21590.
Do I Have a Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Colsen Fire Pit induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was burned by a Colsen Fire Pit, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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