Tabletop fireplace pit unleashed fireball, injurying Navy vet, go well with says

The small, ornamental tabletop fireplace pit that Anthony Trevino purchased on Amazon 5 years in the past seemed innocent.

Now, the product is on the middle of a lawsuit in opposition to its producers and the e-commerce large after it allegedly erupted right into a fireball whereas he was refilling it final yr, leaving the 31-year-old former U.S. Navy search-and-rescue swimmer with third-degree burns to his face, neck and physique.

Anthony Trevino was hospitalized with burn accidents, his lawsuit states.

(SHK Legislation Corp.)

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Diego County Superior Courtroom, accuses Amazon of promoting faulty tabletop alcohol-burning fireplace pits regardless of a ban on the merchandise in two international locations and their hyperlink to 2 deaths and about 60 accidents since 2019.

A spokesperson for Amazon didn’t reply to a request for remark.

“Anthony’s life has been without end modified as a result of a harmful product stayed in the marketplace regardless of years of warning indicators — and he’s not the one one,” Maureen Hennessey, Trevino’s lawyer, mentioned in a written assertion.

In response to the grievance, Trevino bought a Colsen tabletop fireplace pit from Amazon in February 2021 and two bottles of medical-grade isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to make use of as gasoline.

The fireplace pit was marketed as “straightforward and protected to make use of,” in keeping with the lawsuit.

However on Sept. 17, Trevino was utilizing the fireplace pit on his residence balcony when it exploded as he was refilling it, in keeping with the grievance.

“The explosion brought about ugly third-degree burn accidents to his face, ears, neck, torso, arms, palms and fingers,” the grievance learn. “He was hospitalized for a lot of weeks and continues to have everlasting and debilitating burn accidents that have an effect on each facet of his every day life.”

His attorneys mentioned the blast melted ornamental lighting on his balcony, charred the railing and melted sections of synthetic turf.

“I by no means imagined a product offered to me as ‘protected and simple’ would do that to me in my own residence,” Trevino mentioned within the written assertion. “My complete life, my job was to drag individuals out of hazard. I can’t undo what occurred to me, however I can maintain Amazon accountable to make sure they cease promoting merchandise which can be so harmful they’ll alter the course of somebody’s life.”

The hazards of tabletop alcohol-burning fireplace pits have been effectively documented over time.

Australia in impact banned the merchandise in 2017 by way of obligatory security requirements after they had been linked to about 100 accidents and a minimum of 36 home fires since 2010. Canada later authorized a ban on the units.

In response to the U.S. Client Product Security Fee, a number of fireplace pit merchandise offered on Amazon have been linked to flash fires and different explosive incidents within the U.S.

In December 2021, a 15-year-old woman suffered second- and third-degree burns over 22% of her physique when the flames jetted throughout the kitchen island from a tabletop fireplace pit smores maker. The next month, a 5-year-old was injured from a tabletop fireplace pit when it produced a “very giant, sudden fireball.”

In October 2024, the protection fee recalled roughly 89,500 Colsen-branded tabletop fireplace pits, warning that they didn’t meet security requirements. The alcohol-burning merchandise had been related to 31 studies of flame jettings and flames escaping from the concrete container, leading to 19 burn accidents. Two incidents led to third-degree burns to greater than 40% of victims’ our bodies.

Then in December that yr, the company issued a common recall for all tabletop fireplace pit merchandise, citing two deaths and a minimum of 60 accidents since 2019 and urging shoppers to cease utilizing them and sellers to cease promoting them.

“Because of this, Amazon despatched an e mail to all purchasers of the Colsen Hearth Pit, together with the one bought by plaintiff,” the grievance learn. “Notably, this e mail didn’t provide to refund the acquisition value or advise consumers resembling plaintiff that the product was faulty and utilizing it might lead to catastrophic burn accidents.”

A spokesperson for Colsen Hearth Pits couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.

Trevino, nonetheless, didn’t see the e-mail, his attorneys say. Additionally they say Amazon continued to promote comparable merchandise on its web site.

Final month, two ladies in San Diego County had been airlifted to a burn middle after flames went of their route whereas they had been roasting marshmallows on a tool referred to as Flikr Hearth. The machine was additionally recalled, in December 2024.

“Amazon should be held accountable,” Hennessey mentioned. “Not solely to safe justice for Anthony, however to pressure these corporations to take their obligation to forestall life-changing accidents significantly.”