The CPSC is warning consumers to immediately stop using Northlight Bio Ethanol Portable Tabletop Fireplaces due to a risk of uncontrolled pool fires, flame jetting from fuel containers, and serious or fatal burn injuries.
Gordon Companies Inc., the retailer of the fireplaces, has not agreed to a recall and objects to the warning.
The portable tabletop fireplaces are round, square, or rectangular containers with a white, silver, or black base. Consumers pour liquid fuel into the container and ignite the pooled liquid in the same location it was poured.
The warning involves products with item numbers: Northlight IF91990, IF91991, IF91992, IF91993, IF91994, IF91996, and IF91997. The item numbers can be found on the product packaging.
The fireplaces were sold online at NorthlightSeasonal.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, HomeDepot.com and other websites for about $35 to $90. They were manufactured in China.
According to the CPSC, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, ethanol/bioethanol, and similar liquid fuels can burn with flame temperatures over 1,600°F and can cause third degree burns in less than one second. Igniting a pool of alcohol or other liquid fuel in the fire pit’s open container can result in an uncontrolled pool fire, which can suddenly produce larger, hotter flames that can spread beyond the fire pit product.
Flame jetting is a second hazard that can occur when refilling the fire pit if any flame is present. A small flame in the fire pit can be hard to see and can ignite the vapor inside a fuel container as the fuel is poured, causing an explosion that propels flames and burning liquid onto the consumer or bystanders.
The CPSC has published a flame jetting safety video that demonstrates the potential force of flame jetting and the long distances flames and burning liquid can travel.
The warning follows a broader CPSC alert issued in 2025 urging consumers to stop using alcohol or other liquid-burning fire pits that violate voluntary standards. That earlier alert cited 2 deaths and dozens of serious burn injuries linked to the broader category of products.
The CPSC is urging consumers to stop using the tabletop fireplaces immediately and dispose of them. The agency also says consumers should not sell or give away the products. Incidents involving injury or product defect can be reported to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov.
Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a CPSC ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC. The Northlight fireplaces are not subject to a recall because Gordon Companies has refused to issue one.
Consumers who were burned or injured by a Northlight Bio Ethanol Portable Tabletop Fireplace may have legal options. A product liability attorney can advise affected consumers on their rights.