Colsen Recalled Thousands of Tabletop Firepits for a Major Fire Hazard Risk — Here’s Everything We Know
Now that it’s finally starting to feel like sweater weather, you might be tempted to turn to some of your favorite go-to cozy fall essentials. If one of them is a mini firepit, you’ll want to check the label first before lighting it up for the season, because a popular online tabletop firepit brand is recalling almost 90,000 of its indoor and outdoor products for serious safety reasons.
On October 17, Colsen issued a recall of seven of its firepit designs, citing concerns of serious and potentially deadly burn injuries. The models’ open concrete reservoir design, which is used to store burning liquid alcohol, is the problem, as it can pose a serious risk when people are refueling the unit.
According to a notice released by the manufacturer, they’ve had issues with “flame jetting,” which can occur during the refilling process if the flame gets back into the alcohol container and then causes the burning alcohol to erupt out of its container and onto anyone nearby. In addition, if any alcohol splashes or leaks out of the reservoir, there’s also a potential for a fire to start and spread outside of the unit. Colsen said that so far, they’ve gotten 31 reports of flame jetting as well as accidental fires, and almost 20 serious injuries as a result.
Seven models of the Colsen-branded tabletop firepits for indoor-outdoor use are impacted by recall, meaning you’ll want to check your appliance if you’ve purchased one over the past few years. All of these models, which have the open concrete alcohol reservoir, can vary in size, color, and shape, starting as small as 5 inches in width to as large as 18 inches in width. Available in either gray or black, the impacted firepit models — which can be round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, or even skull-shaped — were all sold with a “Colsen”-printed fire extinguisher.
If you bought any of these $40 to $90 models between January 2020 to July 2024 on Colsen’s website ,TikTok, Meta, Grommet, FlipShop or through an online retailer, you’ll want to dispose of your Colsen unit immediately. Unfortunately, the company isn’t offering any refunds on the recalled products.
Colsen shared photos of the impacted models in its recall announcement, but you can also reach out by email at info@colsenfirepits.com or online if you aren’t sure if your particular fire pit model is impacted.
If you don’t want to skip out on firepit season this fall, you can buy an alternative type, like one that burns wood or wood pellets instead of alcohol or another lighter fluid, like this 7-inch Solo Stove Mesa XL Tabletop Fire Pit on Amazon. Currently on sale for $79.99 from $99.99, this stainless steel portable firepit also has a smokeless design, thanks to bottom vents and a double wall. But always remember to read the instructions fully and operate any indoor or outdoor firepit with extreme caution as there are certain safety hazards and risks involved with using all types.