A line of portable tabletop fireplaces sold at Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot can cause violent flame jetting explosions and uncontrolled pool fires during normal use — and the retailer has refused to recall them. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an urgent warning in May 2026 against Northlight Bio Ethanol Portable Tabletop Fireplaces, telling consumers to stop using them immediately and dispose of them. Gordon Companies Inc., the retailer of Northlight products, has not agreed to a recall.
How These Fireplaces Kill
Northlight Bio Ethanol Portable Tabletop Fireplaces are round, square, or rectangular open containers that require consumers to pour liquid bio ethanol fuel directly into the container and ignite it in the same location where it was poured. This design creates two separate and serious fire hazards.
The first hazard is an uncontrolled pool fire. Isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and similar liquid fuels can burn at flame temperatures exceeding 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause third-degree burns in less than one second. Igniting a pool of liquid fuel in an open container can suddenly produce larger, hotter flames that spread beyond the fireplace — giving the user no time to react.
The second and more explosive hazard is flame jetting. Flame jetting occurs when a consumer attempts to refill the fireplace while any flame remains present. A small remaining flame inside the container can be nearly invisible but can ignite the vapor inside the fuel container the moment fuel begins to pour. The resulting explosion propels flames and burning liquid onto the consumer or anyone nearby at distances that can be difficult to comprehend without seeing CPSC’s demonstration video of the hazard.
Which Products Are Affected
The affected Northlight tabletop fireplaces have white, silver, or black bases and carry the following item numbers on their packaging: IF91990, IF91991, IF91992, IF91993, IF91994, IF91996, and IF91997. They were sold at NorthlightSeasonal.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, and HomeDepot.com for approximately $35 to $90.
What You Should Do
- Stop using any Northlight Bio Ethanol Portable Tabletop Fireplace immediately.
- Dispose of the product — do not sell or give it away.
- Do not attempt to use up remaining fuel before disposing of the product.
- If you have experienced an injury or incident involving this product, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
