Kerosene Or Oil Heaters
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 399
Down 45% over 5 years
The verdict
Kerosene Or Oil Heaters carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 841 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 45% over the last five years.
- 33/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 841
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 11.8%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 399 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for kerosene or oil heaters - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume841 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)11.8%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-45%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Kerosene Or Oil Heaters (CPSC product code 399, in the Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares category) generate an estimated 841 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 16,819 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 45% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2005 (1,707 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (214 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for kerosene or oil heaters is anoxia to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,129 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the hand (2,745 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 4,246 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 11.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 21 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how kerosene or oil heaters 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 | 2,663 | 1,583 | |
| 5-14 | 1,195 | 1,142 | |
| 15-24 | 823 | 594 | |
| 25-34 | 935 | 876 | |
| 35-44 | 1,214 | 803 | |
| 45-54 | 1,152 | 1,077 | |
| 55-64 | 724 | 385 | |
| 65-74 | 719 | 221 | |
| 75+ | 424 | 285 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Lower Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Upper Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Wrist | Burns, Thermal |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
43YOM PATIENT STATES THAT HE WAS USING AN OIL HEATER WHEN IT EXPLODED, BURNING HIS HANDS, ARMS, FACE AND NECK DX: BURN (ANY DEGREE) INVOLVING 10-19% OF BODY SURFACE
35 YOF USING A KEROSENE HEATER AT HOME AND SOME KEROSENE SPLASHED ON FACE AND CAUGHT FIRE. NO FD. DX BURN, FACE
43 YOM WHILE LIGHTING A SMUDGE POT, GOT FUEL ON HIS HAND, RIGHT HAND GOT BURNED. DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN TO RIGHT HAND.
24YOM BURNED FINGERS TRYING TO PUT OUT A FIRE ON AN OIL HEATER. DX: BURN FINGERS- FIRE W/ NO F.D.
15MOM WAS SUCKING ON BOTTLE OF KEROSINE AND MAY HAVE INGESTED SOME COUGHING AND GAGGING DX SUSPECTED TOXIC EFFECT OF INGESTED SUBSTANCE
32 YOM WAS WORKING IN THE GARAGE WITH A KEROSINE HEATER AND HE FELT NAUSEATED. DX: EXPOSURE TO INDUSTRIAL FUMES
86YOM, C/O FACE BURN, PT PROPANE HEATER CAUGHT FIRE AND RECIEVED BURNS FROM FLAMES. DX:PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN OF FACE
79 YOF BACKED INTO KEROSINE HEATER, CAUGHT PANTS ON FIRE. NO FD DX THERMAL INJURY TO UPPER LEGS
81 YOM BROUGHT IN BY EMS FOR SMOKE INHALATION, REPORTS USES A KEROSENE HEATER IN HIS HOME AND IT BLEW UP. + COUGH, + SHORTNESS OF BREATH, FIRE DEPT AT THE SCENE. PT COVERED IN SOOT. UDS + ETOH, NO BAC DONE. CARBXYHGB 10%. PT REQUIRED INTUBATION IN ER. DX: HOUSE FIRE, AIRWAY SWELLING, CO POISONING
60YOM PER EMS PT WAS AT HOME W/ AN ELECTRICIAN WHEN THE OIL BURNER THEY WERE LOOKING AT EXPLODED AND PT WAS THROWN BACK AND FOUND W/ BURNS TO FACE CHEST AND B/L UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES AND HOUSE FIRE ?FD DX: BURN
38 YOM REPORTS SMUDGE POT EXPLODED TO HIS FACE AND TRUNK. HE WAS LOOKING DOWN INTO THE SMUDGE POT HOSE THEN IT EXPLODED. HOT OIL AND DIESEL EXPLODED TO HIS HEAD AND TRUNK.DX: BURN INVOLVING 70-79 PERCENT OF BODY SURFACE WITH THIRD DEGREE BURN 20-39%
49YOM, WALKING AT EXERCISE TRACK, HAD SYNCOPAL EPISODE, UDS NEGATIVE DX: SYNCOPE,
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
A faulty drain plug on a Master Kerosene heater Model MH-135T-KFA caused kerosene to leak on to the floor of my garage which I subsequently slipped on. The unit had a manufacture date on the body of it of over 10 years old but was purchased from Tractor Supply less than a year ago. It only has a few hours of use.
I have a Delonghi TRD0715T. It is about three years old and has been seldom used. It caught fire tonight and cause smoke damage to the house.The burning heater was pulled out of the house before the fire was extiguished. The fire department has recorded the information of this heater because of the significance of the damage. Is there a recall? [REDACTED]
It will not shut off - safety switches (fall over, overheat) OR turning it off with the normal on/ off switch, or the thermostat when set to a certain temp, has no effect. It just gets hotter and hotter and smells kinda burning. Burned me since I had no idea it was on. No lights on etc.
Text of Submitter's message dated July 19, 2021: Hi, I have a serious issue with a forced air kerosene heater that starts up its fan and pump but no fire all by itself and fogs the garage up bad and sprays kerosene out the front until we found it and unplugged it!! i need to inform someone about. id like to forward my letter to the company to you please.
Consumer said she heard a loud sound then smelled "hot plumbing". She found that the oil heater she had recently turned on in her kitchen had ruptured, covering the kitchen floor with oil. Consumer opened window and called fire department. Consumer did not report any fire or smoke. Fire department arrived and found slight smell of hot oil, and clear oil from the heater in question covering most of the kitchen floor. No evidence of high heat or fire on heater, unable to determine were the rupture happened, heater is warm to the touch. The thermostat on the heater was set on 6 which is the highest setting and the controls were set to maximum heat.
The oil filled DeLonghi space heater fell over on my leg and caused a serious wound that will take months heal. The design of this heater is particularly dangerous to families with young children, pets and the elderly. The base is completely inadequate to support the weight and height of the heater. Further, its radiator design features very sharp edges, which put a 4 inch gash in my leg through a pair of blue jeans! Imagine if I were wearing shorts, or it fell on a sleeping pet or child! This is a very dangerous product that requires a redesign of its base, which does not support its weight and height.
Our landlord provided us with 4 Delonghi Oil-filled radiator style electric heaters with the following model, type and serial numbers: Model: EW6507L Type: KH650715P Serials: 42512 JN, 44312 JN DLT These heaters all have serious defects and nearly caused a fire in our house. All of the power cords on these heaters get very hot when being used on the 1500W setting. The prongs of the plugs get extremely hot and all of them have melted the plastic surround the metal prongs causing them to come loose and some to even fall off. One of the heater plugs got so hot that it caused the outlet to melt and turn black. Still another one of the heaters had a wheel break off, causing it to fall over and start smoking. In all of these instances, we immediately stopped using the heaters. We called Delonghi's Customer Support Safety line, and they assured us that none of these heaters are on their recall list and are "safe to use." Obviously they are not safe to use, and I am making this report to ensure that other consumers are warned of the dangers of these heaters.
What Happened? On February 17, 2025, at midnight, a DeLonghi oil-filled radiator heater (model: EW7707CM-6A) suddenly exploded in a bedroom, causing hot oil to spray forcefully in one direction due to pressure buildup and leak onto the floor and surrounding area. The unit had been operating normally before the incident, with no prior signs of malfunction. The heater was placed on a flat, wood floor, away from any obstructions, and was being used under normal operating conditions to heat a bedroom. Damage & Health Concerns The explosion caused oil to penetrate the engineered wood flooring, leaving irreversible damage despite extensive cleaning efforts. The room continues to emit a strong odor, raising serious concerns about potential health risks from prolonged exposure. Impact on Household The rooms occupant, a 12-year-old child, was present during the explosion. While no immediate physical injuries occurred, the sudden, violent explosion caused significant distress and fear, waking the entire household. Since the incident, the strong oil odor has made it difficult for the child to continue sleeping in the room, impacting her well-being and comfort. Manufacturers Response & Safety Concerns I reported the incident to DeLonghi customer service on February 18, 2025. The company acknowledged the failure but refused to provide written confirmation when I specifically asked whether the heater oil is non-toxic. Additionally, DeLonghi has insisted on retrieving the damaged unit via regular [REDACTED] shipping, despite my concerns about further oil leakage during transport. They have ignored repeated requests for safe handling procedures and have not addressed potential exposure risks associated with the leaked oil. Broader Consumer Risk This product failure presents a serious safety concern that may impact other consumers using similar DeLonghi oil-filled heaters. I have found multiple reports of similar leaking, burning, and explosion incid
Showing 8 of 21 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to kerosene or oil heaters on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are kerosene or oil heaters?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, kerosene or oil heaters have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 841 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from kerosene or oil heaters?
The most common injury is anoxia to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 4,129 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from kerosene or oil heaters increasing or decreasing?
Down 45% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for kerosene or oil heaters injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 4,246 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by kerosene or oil heaters?
Of all ER visits involving kerosene or oil heaters, approximately 11.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (88.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with kerosene or oil heaters?
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.
