The small, ornamental tabletop hearth pit that Anthony Trevino purchased on Amazon 5 years in the past regarded innocent.
Now, the product is on the heart of a lawsuit towards its producers and the e-commerce big 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 hearth 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 eternally modified as a result of a harmful product stayed in the marketplace regardless of years of warning indicators — and he isn’t the one one,” Maureen Hennessey, Trevino’s legal professional, stated in a written assertion.
In accordance with the grievance, Trevino bought a Colsen tabletop hearth pit from Amazon in February 2021 and two bottles of medical-grade isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to make use of as gas.
The fireplace pit was marketed as “simple and secure to make use of,” in keeping with the lawsuit.
However on Sept. 17, Trevino was utilizing the hearth pit on his condo balcony when it exploded as he was refilling it, in keeping with the grievance.
“The explosion induced ugly third-degree burn accidents to his face, ears, neck, torso, arms, fingers 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 side of his each day life.”
His attorneys stated 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 ‘secure and straightforward’ would do that to me in my own residence,” Trevino stated within the written assertion. “My complete life, my job was to tug 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 might be so harmful they will alter the course of somebody’s life.”
The risks of tabletop alcohol-burning hearth pits have been effectively documented through the years.
Australia in impact banned the merchandise in 2017 by necessary security requirements after they have been linked to about 100 accidents and no less than 36 home fires since 2010. Canada later authorised a ban on the gadgets.
In accordance with the U.S. Client Product Security Fee, a number of hearth 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 lady suffered second- and third-degree burns over 22% of her physique when the flames jetted throughout the kitchen island from a tabletop hearth pit smores maker. The next month, a 5-year-old was injured from a tabletop hearth pit when it produced a “very massive, surprising fireball.”
In October 2024, the protection fee recalled roughly 89,500 Colsen-branded tabletop hearth pits, warning that they didn’t meet security requirements. The alcohol-burning merchandise have 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 hearth pit merchandise, citing two deaths and no less than 60 accidents since 2019 and urging shoppers to cease utilizing them and sellers to cease promoting them.
“On account of this, Amazon despatched an e-mail to all purchasers of the Colsen Fireplace Pit, together with the one bought by plaintiff,” the grievance learn. “Notably, this e-mail didn’t provide to refund the acquisition worth or advise consumers comparable to plaintiff that the product was faulty and utilizing it might end in catastrophic burn accidents.”
A spokesperson for Colsen Fireplace 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 women in San Diego County have been airlifted to a burn heart after flames went of their course whereas they have been roasting marshmallows on a tool referred to as Flikr Fireplace. The system was additionally recalled, in December 2024.
“Amazon should be held accountable,” Hennessey stated. “Not solely to safe justice for Anthony, however to power these firms to take their responsibility to stop life-changing accidents critically.”
