The small, decorative tabletop fire pit that Anthony Trevino bought on Amazon five years ago looked harmless.Now, the product is at the center of a lawsuit against its manufacturers and the e-commerce giant after it allegedly erupted into a fireball while he was refilling it last year, leaving the 31-year-old former U.S. Navy search-and-rescue swimmer with third-degree burns to his face, neck and body. Anthony Trevino was hospitalized with burn injuries, his lawsuit states. (SHK Law Corp.) The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Diego County Superior Court, accuses Amazon of selling defective tabletop alcohol-burning fire pits despite a ban on the products in two countries and their link to two deaths and about 60 injuries since 2019.A spokesperson for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. “Anthony’s life has been forever changed because a dangerous product stayed on the market despite years of warning signs — and he is not the only one,” Maureen Hennessey, Trevino’s attorney, said in a written statement.According to the complaint, Trevino purchased a Colsen tabletop fire pit from Amazon in February 2021 and two bottles of medical-grade isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to use as fuel.The fire pit was marketed as “easy and safe to use,” according to the lawsuit. But on Sept. 17, Trevino was using the fire pit on his apartment balcony when it exploded as he was refilling it, according to the complaint.“The explosion caused gruesome third-degree burn injuries to his face, ears, neck, torso, arms, hands and fingers,” the complaint read. “He was hospitalized for many weeks and continues to have permanent and debilitating burn injuries that affect every aspect of his daily life.” His attorneys said the blast melted decorative lighting on his balcony, charred the railing and melted sections of 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 the written statement. “My whole life, my job was to pull people out of danger. I can’t undo what happened to me, but I can hold Amazon accountable to ensure they stop selling products that are so dangerous they can alter the course of someone’s life.”The dangers of tabletop alcohol-burning fire pits have been well documented over the years. Australia in effect banned the products in 2017 through mandatory safety standards after they were linked to about 100 injuries and at least 36 house fires since 2010. Canada later approved a ban on the devices.According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, multiple fire pit products sold on Amazon have been linked to flash fires and other explosive incidents in the U.S.In December 2021, a 15-year-old girl suffered second- and third-degree burns over 22% of her body when the flames jetted across the kitchen island from a tabletop fire pit smores maker. The following month, a 5-year-old was injured from a tabletop fire pit when it produced a “very large, unexpected fireball.” In October 2024, the safety commission recalled roughly 89,500 Colsen-branded tabletop fire pits, warning that they did not meet safety standards. The alcohol-burning products were associated with 31 reports of flame jettings and flames escaping from the concrete container, resulting in 19 burn injuries. Two incidents led to third-degree burns to more than 40% of victims’ bodies.Then in December that year, the agency issued a general recall for all tabletop fire pit products, citing two deaths and at least 60 injuries since 2019 and urging consumers to stop using them and sellers to stop selling them.“As a result of this, Amazon sent an email to all purchasers of the Colsen Fire Pit, including the one purchased by plaintiff,” the complaint read. “Notably, this email did not offer to refund the purchase price or advise buyers such as plaintiff that the product was defective and using it could result in catastrophic burn injuries.” A spokesperson for Colsen Fire Pits could not immediately be reached for comment. Trevino, however, did not see the email, his attorneys say. They also say Amazon continued to sell similar products on its website. Last month, two girls in San Diego County were airlifted to a burn center after flames went in their direction while they were roasting marshmallows on a device called Flikr Fire. The device was also recalled, in December 2024.“Amazon must be held accountable,” Hennessey said. “Not only to secure justice for Anthony, but to force these companies to take their duty to prevent life-changing injuries seriously.”
