Recall ordered on gel fuel

WASHINGTON – A little more than a week after warning about serious burn dangers linked to outdoor ceramic pots known as firepots, the government on Wednesday announced the recall of nearly a half-million bottles and jugs of the gel fuel used in the patio decorations.

“The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

About 460,000 bottles and jugs of gel fuel are being recalled. They were distributed by Napa Home & Garden of Duluth, Ga., and sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, Restoration Hardware, and other home and garden stores between December 2009 and June 2011.

The problem is that consumers apparently cannot always tell whether the flame in the firepots, which can burn blue or clear with little smoke, is completely extinguished. Pouring more gel on a still-burning pot can lead to dangerous flares or burns, the CPSC said.

The commission said Napa is aware of 37 reports of incidents, including 23 burn injuries to consumers.

Consumers are being asked to stop using the pourable gel fuel immediately and return the bottles or jugs to the retailer where the products were purchased for a full refund.

The agency said a retrofit for the Napa-brand firepots is being evaluated and may be available in the near future.

On June 14, the CPSC issued a warning about firepots following two burn accidents in New York. Both victims, a teenager and a man in his 20s, suffered serious injuries.