Built-in Fireplaces
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares · CPSC Code 336
Down 27% over 5 years
The verdict
Built-in Fireplaces carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 2,775 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 27% over the last five years.
- 33/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 2,775
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 336 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for built-in fireplaces - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume2,775 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.9%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-27%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Built-in Fireplaces (CPSC product code 336, in the Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares category) generate an estimated 2,775 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 55,504 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 33/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 27% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2017 (4,408 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (1,531 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for built-in fireplaces is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 15,761 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by laceration to the head (10,349 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 30,480 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 4.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how built-in fireplaces fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 19,695 | 10,785 | |
| 5-14 | 4,157 | 2,850 | |
| 15-24 | 587 | 830 | |
| 25-34 | 973 | 664 | |
| 35-44 | 392 | 651 | |
| 45-54 | 790 | 1,484 | |
| 55-64 | 1,099 | 1,244 | |
| 65-74 | 1,041 | 1,814 | |
| 75+ | 2,208 | 4,236 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Ear | Laceration | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Upper Trunk | Fracture | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
2YOM WAS RUNNING AND FELL STRIKING HIS LEFT EAR AGAINST THE BRICK OF A FIREPLACE DX: LEFT EAR LACERATION
29YOM STS THAT HE TRIPPED IN HIS BEDROOM & FELL FORWARD & HIT HIS FACE/FOREHEAD ON A STONE/BRICK FIREPLACE IN HIS BEDROOM. PT STS HE HAS BEEN AWAKE FOR MUCH OF THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS & DID HEROIN TODAY AT UNKNOWN TIME, THUS FEELS SLEEPY. DX: HEAD INJURY;DRUG ABUSE;FACIAL LACERATION
4 YOF PRESENTS WITH FACIAL LACERATION S/P FALL WHILE PLAYING WITH COUSIN AT HOME AND FELL AGAINST BRICK FIREPLACE. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
8YOM WAS AT HIS GRANDMA MOM'S HOUSE AND PLAYING AROUND WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY TRIPPED AND FELL ONTO THE BRICK AROUND THE FIREPLACE. DX: FALL; LACERATION OF HEAD
77YOM SYNCOPAL EPISODES AT HOME, CONCERN THAT THE HOME MAY HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK FROM THE FIREPLACE DX: SYNCOPE AND COLLAPSE, TOXIC EFFECT OF CARBON MONOXIDE, HYPOTENSION
59YOF SYNCOPAL EPISODES AT HOME, CONCERN THAT THE HOME MAY HAVE A CARBON MONOXIDE LEAK FROM THE FIREPLACE DX: SYNCOPE AND COLLAPSE, TOXIC EFFECT OF CARBON MONOXIDE
10 MOM SWALLOWED A BROKEN PIECE OF BRICK FROM THE FIREPLACE. DX FB INGESTED
59YOM PATIENT STATES THAT HE WAS BUILDING A FIREPLACE AND LIFTED A 200 POUND ROCK YESTERDAY WITH SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF BACK PAIN DX: SCIATICA OF LEFT SIDE
17 YOM FELL INTO FIREPLACE SUSTAINING BURNS TO HIS BUTTOCKS, NO FIRE DEPARTMENT, DX: CONTACT BURN BUTTOCK
4YOM PRESENTS TO THE ED AFTER THE PATIENT PUT HIS HAND ON THE OUTSIDE OF A GLASS FIREPLACE AND NOW HAS SUPERFICIAL BURNS TO PALM. NO FD DX: SUPERFICIAL BURN
3YOM PRESENTS WITH BRUISING ON LEFT FOOT AND UPPER LEFT LEG PAIN S/P PT'S MOTHER REPORTS HE WAS PLAYING NEXT TO HIS DAD WHO WAS WORKING ON THE FIREPLACE AT HOME. THERE WAS SOME WOORDEN TRIM THAT FELL FROM THE FIREPLACE AND LANDED ON THE PT'S LEG. DX: BRUISING ON LEFT FOOT AND UPPER LEG PAIN
84YOF W/ SEVERE DEMENTIA TO ER FOR HEAD INJURY THAT OCCURED AT HOME, PT FELL W/O USING HER WALKER & IMPACTED HEAD ON BRICK FIREPLACE, PT DENIES LOC, NO THINNERS, HUSBAND SAYS PT ACTING NORMAL, HUSBAND TAKES CARE OF PT ALONE DX INJURY OF HEAD, FALL, SEVERE DEMENTIA
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
When doing repairs on our house, we removed the drywall and stone surround of our Superior woodburning firebox. We noticed charring around the firebox as if the box had not been sealed completely.
Glass shattered spontaneously on side fixed panel of fireplace. Came home to find shards of glass scattered throughout the living room and adjacent hallway No fire burning at time. No impact to glass no known other inciting causes
I have copied and pasted the e-mails which I sent to the manufacturer (Napolean Firelplaces). We recently purchased a Napolean WMFE3 ethanol fireplace and want to report a mishap with it. I had contacted your customer service reps. before my initial use of the fireplace to find out the correct ethanol fuel to use. I was told that I could use denatured alcohol so I purchased a gallon of [REDACTED] from The Home Depot and filled each burner pot and did not overfill past the Max Level markings on the burning pots. I ignited the pots. The initial flames were blue and pretty low. As it says in your users manual "It may take 15-20 minutes to reach maximum flame height." In about that time period, the flames did, in fact, reach a height rising up to about half-way up the height of the fireplace itself. HOWEVER, the flames began growing higher and higher! The fuel was making a gurgling/hissing sound (almost sounded like a heavy rain). The flames began to lick out of the enclosure scorching part of the frame. I used the tool to close the burner slide but this did NOT snuff out the fire. Flames were shooting out from around the burner slide and fumes were being emitted from the outside of the fireplace frame itself! Our smoke detectors went off (one of which is part of our security system alerting our security company). I had to use a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze. After cleaning the fireplace and burning pots of the extinguisher residue, I re-lit the burners without incident. The following night, I re-lit them again. Again, without incident. I wanted to report this to your company for your information. Do you have any idea why this may have occurred? An impurity in the fuel, perhaps? I'm just glad I had a fire extinguisher or we would have had a major problem. It wasn't a good start to our new Napolean ethanol fireplace relationship. Please feel free to contact me with comments, suggestions. Thanks, [REDACTED] Please read
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to built-in fireplaces on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are built-in fireplaces?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, built-in fireplaces have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 2,775 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from built-in fireplaces?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 15,761 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from built-in fireplaces increasing or decreasing?
Down 27% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for built-in fireplaces injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 30,480 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by built-in fireplaces?
Of all ER visits involving built-in fireplaces, approximately 4.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.1%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with built-in fireplaces?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 33/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
