Sharper Image-brand tabletop fire pits recalled after burns to multiple body parts

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday that Allstar Marketing Group LLC is recalling roughly 265,000 Sharper Image-branded tabletop fire pits because flaming fuel can escape the devices during use. The agency's official recall notice, numbered 27-082, says ignited flammable liquid can escape the fire pits or trigger "flame jetting" from the fuel containers that hold the liquid used to feed the flame, posing "a risk of serious injury from burn and fire hazards."

Allstar, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based importer of the Chinese-made products, has received four reports of burning fuel escaping during use. All four incidents resulted in injuries, which the CPSC notice describes as third- and fourth-degree burns to multiple parts of the body. No deaths have been reported.

"Ignited flammable liquid can escape from the recalled fire pits or trigger flame jetting from the fuel containers," the CPSC's recall notice states.

What's being recalled

The recall covers two product lines sold under the Sharper Image name: standard Tabletop Fire Pits, which have a small cylindrical concrete body, a removable snuffing lid and an open burn chamber on top, and Tabletop Infinity Fire Pits, which have a steel base and tempered-glass side panels. Both carry a "77" logo on the front and a lot-code sticker on the base. The CPSC notice instructs consumers to also check for a round black "CHINA" sticker bearing a five-digit code, the letters "KS-CY" or "KS-FC," and a date code formatted as year-month-day — details the agency says owners should use to confirm whether their specific unit is covered before deciding whether to stop using it.

The fire pits were sold nationwide from January 2023 through June 2026 for $30 to $50 at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Kohl's, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Burlington, Nordstrom, Rite Aid and Walgreens, as well as online through Amazon and HSN. The recall was filed through the CPSC's Fast Track Recall Program, a decades-old arrangement under which a company that is, in the agency's words, "willing and able to move quickly" can pursue a voluntary recall rather than a formal staff investigation; Allstar also agreed to the standard Fast Track condition of submitting a full hazard report under Section 15(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act before the notice was published.

Who's affected and what to do

The CPSC and Allstar are telling consumers who own either model to stop using the fire pits immediately and contact Allstar for a full refund rather than attempting a repair or continuing to use the product. The process requires owners to register online, write "RECALLED – DO NOT USE" on the unit in permanent marker, and submit three photographs following instructions posted on Allstar's recall site. Once that registration is confirmed, the company says remaining fuel should be disposed of according to local hazardous-waste rules before the fire pit itself is discarded.

• Units recalled: about 265,000
• Reported injuries: four, including third- and fourth-degree burns
• Sold: January 2023–June 2026, for $30–$50
• Remedy: full refund after online registration

Consumers with questions can reach Allstar toll-free at 855-215-5032, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, email the company at [email protected], or register through the recall website listed in the official notice.

A recurring hazard in backyard fire pits

Flame jetting and fuel splash-back are a well-documented hazard category for small, liquid- or gel-fueled fire pits, distinct from the propane or wood-burning models typically built into patio furniture sets. The CPSC's most sweeping action on the hazard came in September 2011, when nine manufacturers and distributors jointly recalled an estimated 2 million units of pourable gel fuel after the agency tied the product to 65 incidents, two deaths and 34 hospitalizations for second- and third-degree burns to the face, chest, hands, arms or legs. The CPSC said at the time that the danger arose because gel-fuel flames are often nearly invisible, so consumers unknowingly poured more fuel onto a container that was still burning, igniting the stream and flaring it back toward them; the agency concluded that "all pourable gel fuel, regardless of manufacturer, poses flash fire hazards."

A closer precedent came in October 2024, when the CPSC and Colsen Fire Pits LLC of Miami recalled roughly 89,500 Colsen-branded tabletop fire pits — sold at Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair and Sharper Image, among other retailers, from January 2020 to July 2024 — after 31 reports of flame jetting and escaping flames led to 19 burn injuries. That notice was more severe in its particulars than Wednesday's: two of the Colsen incidents caused third-degree burns covering more than 40% of a victim's body, and at least six involved surgery, burn-unit admission, prolonged medical treatment or what the agency's notice called "permanent disfigurement." Unlike Allstar, Colsen told the CPSC it lacked the financial resources to offer refunds and instructed owners simply to destroy the recalled units rather than resell or donate them, which is illegal for any recalled consumer product.

Behind the Sharper Image name, and what's next

Sharper Image, once a nationwide specialty retailer known for gadgets and massage chairs, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and closed its remaining stores that year, with its assets sold at auction. Iconix Brand Group controlled the brand's licensing from 2011 until ThreeSixty Group bought the remaining global rights in December 2016 and relaunched Sharper Image in 2019 as a pure licensing operation: the company itself makes nothing, instead authorizing other manufacturers to sell products under the Sharper Image name across different categories, from electronics to home goods. Allstar — a direct-response marketer best known for the Snuggie blanket — is one of several companies licensed to put the Sharper Image name on its own product lines, in this case outdoor fire pits. In 2015, Allstar agreed to pay a combined $8 million, including $7.5 million to the Federal Trade Commission, to settle charges that its "buy one, get one free" television offers for the Snuggie and similar products concealed fees and billed customers without their consent.

The CPSC's notice does not set a deadline for consumers to act, but the agency's standard guidance is that recalled products should be taken out of use immediately rather than stored for later disposal, given the burn risk already documented in four incidents. It remains illegal to resell or donate a recalled consumer product, including through yard sales or online marketplaces. The agency continues to accept reports of injuries or product problems through its SaferProducts.gov portal, and additional incident reports in the weeks ahead could affect the scope of the recall or the terms of Allstar's refund process.