Colsen Fire Pits LLC recalled about 89,500 tabletop fire pits after CPSC linked them to serious burn injuries. The agency announced Recall No. 25-015 on October 17, 2024, covering seven Colsen-branded fire pit models sold since January 2020.
The fire pits burn liquid alcohol poured into an open reservoir. Refilling one near any flame can cause flame jetting, propelling burning alcohol onto nearby people. Leaked or splashed alcohol can spread into a larger flash fire.
Owners should stop using a recalled Colsen fire pit, dispose of it, and never resell or donate it. Contact Colsen Fire Pits LLC or CPSC with questions. CPSC’s recall notice remains posted, with no closeout listed.
- Action type: Recall
- Announcement and initiation dates: October 17, 2024
- Company and responsible agency: Colsen Fire Pits LLC (Miami, FL) / CPSC
- Recall or campaign number: 25-015
- Affected models, lots, UPCs, serial numbers, or VINs: Seven models, 5-18 in., gray or black, round/rectangular/hexagonal/square/skull-shaped; sold with a Colsen-branded flame extinguisher cap
- Number of affected units: About 89,500 units (includes units previously made by another company)
- Sold at and sale period: colsenfirepits.com, Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart, Sharper Image, FlipShop, Grommet, Meta, TikTok; January 2020-July 2024; $40-$90
- Hazard: Flame jetting when refueling near a flame; alcohol can also splash or leak and spread a flash fire
- Reported incidents, injuries, illnesses, and deaths: 31 reports, 19 burn injuries; 2 third-degree burns over 40% of the body; 6+ needed surgery/burn-unit care
- Remedy: Dispose only – no refund; firm cites lack of funds
Table Of Contents
- Latest Colsen Fire Pits Recall Updates
- Which Colsen Fire Pits Are Affected?
- Why Were the Colsen Fire Pits Recalled?
- Reported Incidents, Injuries, or Illnesses
- What Should Consumers Do?
- Other Recalls, Warnings, or International Actions
- Legal Options
- Filing Deadlines
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is There a Colsen Fire Pit Recall Lawsuit?
- Can a Recalled Colsen Fire Pit Be Repaired Instead of Thrown Away?
- What Does Flame Jetting Mean?
- Why Doesn’t Colsen Offer a Refund for the Recalled Fire Pits?
- Who Represented Shaneka Barnhart in the Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit?
- Was the Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit Assigned to a Magistrate Judge?
- References
Latest Colsen Fire Pits Recall Updates
December 18, 2024: Barnhart Lawsuit Voluntarily Dismissed
Shaneka Barnhart had sued Colsen Fire Pits LLC over a fire pit injury. She voluntarily dismissed her case without prejudice on December 18, 2024 [1], about seven weeks after filing it.
A dismissal without prejudice means Barnhart could refile the same claims later. The docket does not explain why she dropped the case, and no other suit against the company is confirmed as pending.
October 28, 2024: Individual Lawsuit Filed Against Colsen
Shaneka Barnhart filed an individual product-liability lawsuit against Colsen Fire Pits LLC. She filed it in the Western District of North Carolina, docket 3:24-cv-00945, about eleven days after the CPSC recall was announced. The complaint carries a jury demand.
The docket lists the case as personal injury and product liability, naming Colsen Fire Pits LLC as the only defendant. The case was assigned to District Judge Frank D. Whitney.
October 17, 2024: CPSC Announces Colsen Fire Pit Recall
CPSC announced Recall No. 25-015 [2] for about 89,500 Colsen-branded fire pits made in the United States. The agency cited burn injuries tied to the fire pits’ open-reservoir design (explained further below).
Colsen said it lacks the money to offer a paid remedy. So the recall asks owners to dispose of their fire pits. It does not ask them to return the fire pits for a refund or exchange.
Which Colsen Fire Pits Are Affected?
The recall covers seven models of Colsen-branded indoor/outdoor tabletop fire pits, identified by these shared features rather than separate model numbers:
- Brand: “Colsen” printed or molded on the unit and on the included flame extinguisher cap
- Shapes: round, rectangular, hexagonal, square, or skull-shaped
- Colors: gray or black
- Sizes: 5 to 18 inches wide
- Construction: an open concrete reservoir designed to hold burning liquid alcohol
Owners can match a unit against these features, plus the sale dates and retailers listed above. The notice does not publish separate model numbers, lots or date codes for individual fire pits.
Contact Colsen Fire Pits LLC directly if you are unsure whether your specific fire pit is included in this recall.
Why Were the Colsen Fire Pits Recalled?
Colsen Fire Pits LLC recalled its fire pits because of their design. The open reservoir can cause flame jetting and spreading flash fires. These can burn users faster than they can react.
The fire pits require pouring liquid alcohol fuel into an open concrete reservoir, then igniting it in place. CPSC says this design makes flame jetting possible.
Alcohol flames can be nearly invisible. Refilling a fire pit near any flame – even one too small to see – can ignite vapor inside the fuel container. That can throw burning alcohol onto the person pouring and anyone nearby.
Alcohol can also splash, spill or leak from the reservoir during ordinary use, starting a flash fire that spreads. The flames grow larger and hotter than the fire pit was built to hold.
CPSC recorded 31 reports of this happening before the recall, and 19 led to a burn injury severe enough that the agency ordered a recall.
Reported Incidents, Injuries, or Illnesses
CPSC received 31 reports of flame jetting or flames escaping the fire pit’s concrete container. Nineteen of those reports involved burn injuries.
Two incidents caused third-degree burns to more than 40% of the victim’s body. At least six incidents needed surgery, burn-unit care, or led to short-term disability, loss of function, or permanent disfigurement.
The recall notice does not give a reporting cutoff date or break the reports down by state or country. CPSC’s summary reports totals only, not case-by-case detail.
Reports to CPSC describe what consumers experienced. They are not proof that every fire pit failed the same way or that the company is legally responsible for each injury.
What Should Consumers Do?
Anyone who owns a recalled Colsen fire pit should take the following steps:
- Stop using the fire pit immediately.
- Dispose of the fire pit. Do not resell or donate it, which is a violation of federal law for a recalled product.
- Contact Colsen Fire Pits LLC by email at info@colsenfirepits.com or through colsenfirepits.com with questions. To report an incident, use CPSC’s SaferProducts.gov reporting system.
- Seek medical care for any burn from the fire pit, especially a burn that blisters, covers a large area, or does not improve within a few days.
- Keep the fire pit, receipts, photographs and any medical records if you or a family member was burned and want to look into legal options.
Other Recalls, Warnings, or International Actions
On December 19, 2024, CPSC issued a category-wide Consumer Alert [3]. It told consumers to stop buying or using liquid-burning fire pits that break voluntary safety standard ASTM F3363-19.
The alert did not name Colsen specifically. It covers the broader category of pour-and-ignite tabletop fire pits sold under many brands.
CPSC linked these fire pits, as a group, to two deaths and at least 60 injuries reported since 2019, across multiple brands and models.
Legal Options
Colsen Fire Pits LLC has faced one confirmed legal claim: Shaneka Barnhart’s personal-injury suit, filed in October 2024 and dropped about seven weeks later. A recall does not automatically make a company legally responsible for an injury.
No multidistrict litigation covers tabletop fire pits generally [4]. Anyone burned by a Colsen fire pit and considering legal options should keep records and speak with a lawyer.
Filing Deadlines
Deadlines for filing a product-liability claim come from state law, not from the recall itself, and they are not listed anywhere in the CPSC notice.
Two things set that time period: the state where the injured person lives, and the exact day the injury happened. Some states begin counting that day, and others wait until later before the clock starts.
Missing a deadline can end a claim no matter how strong the facts are, so anyone considering a claim should talk to a lawyer promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Colsen Fire Pit Recall Lawsuit?
Yes, one Colsen fire pit recall lawsuit was filed: Shaneka Barnhart’s product-liability case before U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney in North Carolina, filed under diversity jurisdiction because she and Colsen Fire Pits LLC are considered residents of different states. She voluntarily dismissed it in December 2024.
Can a Recalled Colsen Fire Pit Be Repaired Instead of Thrown Away?
A recalled Colsen fire pit cannot be safely repaired instead of thrown away: CPSC’s recall remedy is disposal only, not repair. Modifying the reservoir or any other part does not eliminate the flame-jetting and fire-spreading hazard that caused the recall, so a repaired unit remains unsafe to use.
What Does Flame Jetting Mean?
Flame jetting means fire flashes back into the alcohol container while someone is refilling a fire pit, then propels burning alcohol out and onto them. CPSC says this can happen even when no flame is visible, and can cause serious burns in less than one second.
Why Doesn’t Colsen Offer a Refund for the Recalled Fire Pits?
Colsen doesn’t offer a refund for the recalled fire pits because of money. The company says it stopped selling the fire pits less than one year after buying the product line, and it lacks the funds to pay consumers back. The recall remedy is dispose-only.
Who Represented Shaneka Barnhart in the Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit?
Shaneka Barnhart’s Colsen fire pit lawsuit was filed through Poulin Willey Trial Lawyers. Attorney Tiffany Nicole Lawson was counsel of record in the case. Barnhart later voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit, in December 2024.
Was the Colsen Fire Pit Lawsuit Assigned to a Magistrate Judge?
The Colsen fire pit lawsuit was assigned to a magistrate judge: U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler was referred to the case alongside District Judge Frank D. Whitney, from the October 2024 filing until the case ended that December.
References
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69315247/barnhart-v-colsen-fire-pits-llc/
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Colsen-Recalls-Fire-Pits-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Burn-Injury-from-Flame-Jetting-and-Fire-Spreading-Hazards
- https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2025/Consumer-Alert-Stop-Using-Alcohol-or-Other-Liquid-Burning-Fire-Pits-That-Violate-Voluntary-Standards-and-Present-Flame-Jetting-and-Fire-Hazards-Two-Deaths-and-Dozens-of-Serious-Burn-Injuries-Reported
- https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/pending-mdls-0