Pourable gel fuel products seem like an accident waiting to happen.
And after dozens of accidents, Napa Home & Garden is recalling almost half a million bottles of pourable NAPAfire and FIREGEL Gel Fuel bottles and jugs.
These pourable gel fuels, which have been sold online and at stores nationwide for between $5 and $78 since December 2009, are supposed to be poured into the stainless steel cup at the center of a firepot. The problem is that the gel fuel can sometimes unexpectedly ignite if it is poured onto a firepot that is already burning, and the gel fuel is very hard to extinguish.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of at least 37 reports of incidents involving these gel fuels, including 23 burn injuries. The New York Times has reported that at least two of the incidents were nearly fatal, including an incident that involved a 14-year-old boy that has kept him in a coma for over three weeks.
If you have any of the recalled pourable gel fuel from Napa Home & Garden, you should return the bottles or jugs to the place that you bought them for a full refund. A retrofited firepot may be available soon that will hopefully be safer to use.
Although BirdBrain firepot fuel gel has not been recalled, they carry the same warnings about their use and the New York Times reports that they have also been linked to serious burn injuries, including burns in three children that required prolonged hospitalization.
These types of gel fuel firepots seem to be a replacement for the citronella oil wick torches and candles that have been popular in backyards for lighting and as an insect repellent.
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Deaths? Who died? When?
“Deaths? Who died? When?”
I corrected the post. Thanks for noting that there have fortunately not been any deaths associated with the gel fuel products.