Residential open burning for the disposal of hazardous vegetation is closed for the season.

Nine Manufacturers, Distributors Announce Consumer Recall of Pourable Gel Fuel Due to Burn and Flash Fire Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with nine manufacturers and distributors, is announcing a voluntary recall of all pourable gel fuels made or sold by these companies. Due to the serious risks of flash fire and burns when consumers add pourable gel to an already burning fire pot, consumers should immediately stop using the pourable gel fuel.

The recall involves an estimated 2 million units of various pourable gel fuels packaged in one-quart plastic bottles and one-gallon plastic jugs and sold in scented and non-scented formulations, which were sold since 2008 for between $5 and $20 by the companies listed below.

Consumers can contact these firms to obtain instructions for a refund of the product and for returning unused bottles and jugs:

• Bird Brain Inc., of Ypsilanti, Mich.
• Bond Manufacturing of Antioch, Calif.
• Sunjel Company (2 Burn Inc.) of Milwaukee
• Fuel Barons Inc. of Lake Tahoe, Nev.
• Lamplight Farms Inc of Menomonee Falls, Wis.
• Luminosities Inc (Windflame) of St. Paul, Minn.
• Pacific Décor Ltd. of Woodinwille, Wash.
• Real Flame of Racine, Wis.
• Smart Solar Inc. of Oldsmar, Fla.

The pourable gel fuel can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when it is poured into a firepot that is still burning. CPSC is aware of 65 incidents resulting in two deaths and 34 victims who were hospitalized with second and third degree burns of the face, chest, hands, arms or legs.

Of the 65 incidents, 28 of them, including 37 burn injuries and two fatalities, occurred with fuel gel products made by Napa Home & Garden, which conducted a recall of its products in June 2011, in cooperation with CPSC. Also in June, CPSC issued a press statement alerting consumers to the hazards of pourable gel fuels. All pourable gel fuel, regardless of manufacturer, poses flash fire hazards.

Consumers should not attempt to use or fix pourable gel fuel bottles with homemade remedies, or replace the fuel with other flammable materials.

Retailers should stop sale of existing inventory and immediately remove all stock of pourable gel fuel from shelves. Some firms are working on a design for caps that may prevent flash fire hazards.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, go online to: www.saferproducts.gov, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain this news release and product safety information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

The last day to submit requests for curbside chipping for the 2011 season will be October 15, 2011

Recently there has been some controversy regarding the safety of antifreeze used in fire sprinkler systems. The Nevada State Fire Marshal has released a position statement on the use of antifreeze in sprinkler systems (see link below). The Tahoe Douglas Fire District concurs with the Nevada State Fire Marshal's position on the use of antifreeze. The Fire District does not prohibit the use of antifreeze in sprinkler systems. When it is necessary to use antifreeze in a sprinkler system, there are a number of restrictions: these restrictions include using solutions not exceeding 50% glycerin or 40% propylene glycol and using only factory premixed solutions of antifreeze.  Please see the links below for the Nevada State Fire Marshal's statement on this issue and the most recent research conducted for the National Fire Protection Association on the use of antifreeze in Home Fire Sprinkler Systems.

If you have an existing sprinkler system with an antifreze solution you should contact your sprinkler maintenance company. You should have them confirm that your system does not contain greater than 50% glycerin or 40% glycol. This may require draining the system and refilling it with a factory pre-mixed solution. If you heat your home throughout the cold season, and the sprinkler pipes were adequately insulated at the time of installation, it may be possible to replace the antifreeze solution with water. Your sprinkler contractor can advise you on the viability of this option.

Residential Fire Sprinklers have a demonstrated record of saving lives, we encourage you to keep your sprinkler system operational at all times and have an annual service check completed by a licensed sprinkler contractor.

Please contact the Fire District's Department of Fire Prevention if you have any questions about this issue.