A former U.S. Navy helicopter search-and-rescue swimmer has filed a lawsuit against Amazon after a tabletop alcohol fire pit exploded on his San Diego apartment balcony.
He suffered severe 3rd-degree burns and permanent scarring as a result of “flame-jetting,” a type of flash-fire that occurs when people try to pour liquid fuel into the open reservoir of a tabletop fire pit.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in San Diego County Superior Court against Amazon.com, Inc., fire pit manufacturer Colsen, and Gusar, LLC.
According to the complaint, he bought a Colsen-branded “Tabletop Rubbing Alcohol Outdoor Fire Pit” from Amazon in February 2021, along with 2 bottles of medical-grade isopropyl alcohol.
Four years later, he was refilling the fire pit on his balcony and said it appeared that the flame had gone out. The problem is that alcohol flames can be nearly invisible when they are low, so it is hard to know if it has actually gone out.
When he tried to pour in more liquid fuel, the fire flashed back into the container. This resulted in “flame-jetting,” or a sudden jet of burning liquid alcohol that engulfs anyone standing nearby.
The lawsuit describes his injuries as “gruesome third-degree burn injuries to his face, ears, neck, torso, arms, hands and fingers.”
This lawsuit is part of a growing wave of cases involving people who were seriously injured by tabletop fire pits. Safety officials have warned that alcohol-burning tabletop fire pits have been linked to 2 deaths and more than 60 injuries since 2019.
Many tabletop fire pits have been recalled in recent years, including the one that burned the plaintiff in this lawsuit. For example, his was a Colsen Fire Pit that was recalled in 2024.
When the Colsen fire pit was recalled, safety officials said there were 31 reports of flame-jetting and flames escaping the fire pits’ open concrete containers, resulting in 19 burn injuries. Two people suffered 3rd-degree burns to more than 40% of their body.
Anyone who still owns one of the recalled Colsen fire pits should stop using it immediately and dispose of it. Consumers can also report fire pit-related injuries directly to the agency at SaferProducts.gov.
Source: San Diego Navy veteran sues Amazon after tabletop fire pit explodes