A lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Diego County Superior Court accuses Amazon and manufacturers of selling defective tabletop alcohol-burning firepits that have caused severe burn injuries, including to plaintiff Anthony Trevino. Trevino, a 31-year-old former U.S. Navy search-and-rescue swimmer, suffered third-degree burns to his face, neck, and body last year when a firepit he purchased on Amazon exploded while he was refilling it.
According to the complaint, Trevino bought a Colsen-branded tabletop firepit in February 2021 along with medical-grade isopropyl alcohol to use as fuel. The firepit was advertised as “easy and safe to use.” On Sept. 17, 2023, while using the device on his apartment balcony, it allegedly erupted into a fireball, causing extensive injuries that required hospitalization for several weeks. The blast also damaged his balcony, melting decorative lighting, charring the railing, and melting artificial turf.
“I never imagined a product sold to me as ‘safe and easy’ would do this to me in my own home,” Trevino said in a statement. His attorney, Maureen Hennessey, emphasized that the product remained on the market despite numerous warnings and injuries linked to similar devices, calling for accountability to prevent additional harm.
The lawsuit cites longstanding concerns about tabletop alcohol-burning firepits. Australia effectively banned such products in 2017 after their connection to roughly 100 injuries and 36 house fires over seven years. Canada has also implemented a ban. In the United States, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported multiple incidents involving these firepits, including flash fires and explosions.
In 2021, a 15-year-old girl sustained second- and third-degree burns on 22% of her body from a tabletop firepit designed for making s’mores, while a separate incident involved a 5-year-old injured by a sudden large fireball from a similar device. In October 2024, the CPSC recalled approximately 89,500 Colsen-branded firepits, citing 31 reports of flame jetting and 19 burn injuries, with two incidents resulting in third-degree burns covering more than 40% of victims’ bodies. In December 2024, the agency issued a broader recall covering all tabletop firepits after documenting two deaths and over 60 injuries since 2019.
The lawsuit notes that Amazon notified buyers of the Colsen firepit about the recall but did not offer refunds or explicitly warn that the product was defective and could cause severe burns. Trevino’s attorneys say he did not receive the email, and that Amazon has continued to sell similar products. A spokesperson for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment, and representatives for Colsen Fire Pits were not immediately reachable.
Recent incidents illustrate ongoing risks. Last month, two girls in San Diego County were airlifted to a burn center after flames from a device called the Flikr Fire, also recalled in December 2024, threatened their safety while roasting marshmallows.
Hennessey urged measures to hold retailers and manufacturers responsible for public safety. “Amazon must be held accountable,” she said, “not only to secure justice for Anthony but to force these companies to take their duty to prevent life-changing injuries seriously.”