Lighters, Not Specified
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.
Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1687
Up 58% over 5 years
The verdict
Lighters, Not Specified carry a danger score of 45/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 1,292 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 58% over the last five years.
- 45/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 1,292
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 18.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1687 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 45/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for lighters, not specified - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,292 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)18.5%
- Fatality rate0.08%
- 5-year trend+58%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Lighters, Not Specified (CPSC product code 1687, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 1,292 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 25,844 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 45/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 58% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (3,157 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2011 (622 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for lighters, not specified is burns, thermal to the face, accounting for approximately 4,611 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the hand (4,097 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 4,926 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 18.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.08%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 29 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how lighters, not specified 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 | 1,141 | 261 | |
| 5-14 | 3,640 | 1,286 | |
| 15-24 | 3,760 | 1,010 | |
| 25-34 | 2,879 | 1,557 | |
| 35-44 | 1,845 | 1,199 | |
| 45-54 | 1,814 | 1,296 | |
| 55-64 | 1,310 | 1,188 | |
| 65-74 | 637 | 447 | |
| 75+ | 391 | 187 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Lower Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Burns, Thermal | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
4 YOM WAS PLAYING WITH A LIGHTER, LITE HIS SHIRT ON FIRE AND BURNT HIS CHEST, NO FIRE DEPT. DX: FULL THICKNESS BURN OF CHEST WALL
6 YOM PRESENTS AFTER HIS BROTHER WAS PLAYING WITH A LIGHTER AND ACCIDENTALLY LIT HIS SHIRT ON FIRE. FD NS. DX: BURN OF FLANK THIRD DEGREE.
19YOM HAS BEEN SUFFERING FROM DELUSIONS AND CONSUMED A D8 GUMMY WHEN HE SUSTAINED SELF-INFLICTED BURNS TO BOTH FOREARMS WITH A LIGHTER TONIGHT AT HOME NOTHING STATED ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DX: SUPERFICIAL THICKNESS BURN OF FOREARMS; ACUTE PSYCHOSIS
8YOM - PATIENT PRESENT FOR BURN TO CHEST. PT WAS PLAYING WITH A LIGHTER AND HIS SHIRT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED HIS CHEST. NO FIRE DEPARTMENT PRESENT. NO LOC. DX: BURN
33 YOF PRESENTING TODAY IN POLICE CUSTODY AFTER ALLEGEDLY INGESTING FENTANYL DURING HER ARREST. PT ALSO HAD 2 LIGHTERS, 2 BAGS OF UNKNOWN DRUGS AND A PIPE IN HER VAGINA FOUND AT JAIL. DX: FENTANYL USE DISORDER.
47YOM BROUGHT IN SELF FROM HOME WITH BURNS TO FACE AND HANDS. REPORTS JUST FILLED UP A BUTANE LIGHTER AND WAS USING IT WHEN IT EXPLODED. PRESENTS WITH BLISTERED BURNS TO HANDS, FACE RED AND SWOLLEN, HAIR AND BEARD SINGED. 3RD DEGREE BURN TO HANDS, 2ND DEGREE BURN TO NOSE, FACE AND NECK, 1ST DEGREE BURN TO MOUTH FD UNK DX: BURN, SOMNOLENCE
29 YOM WITH 3 DAYS OF LEFT THUMB SWELLING FOR THE LAST 3 DAYS. STATES HE HAS BEEN PLAYING AROUND WITH A LIGHTER THAT MAY HAVE IRRITATED THE AREA. DX THUMB ABSCESS
26YOM WHO PRESENTS TO THE ER WITH A COMPLAINT OF BURN TO HIS RIGHT EYE AREA. PT STATES THAT HE WAS TRYING TO LIGHT HIS LIGHTER AND PUT IT UP TO HIS EAR TO HEAR IF THE BUTANE WAS FLOWING WHEN IT SUDDENLY IGNITED WITH A FLASH NEXT TO HIS EYE DX; BURN
59 YOM WITH BURNS TO HIS HANDS. REPORTS HIS SON DROPPED A LIGHTER ON A PLASTIC BAG THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE USED HIS HANDS TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. NO FD. DX BURNS TO HANDS
54 YOF FROM A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FACILITY. SHE WAS OUTSIDE, LIT A CIGARETTE, WHICH CAUGHT HER COAT ON FIRE. +BURNS TO FACE AND FINGERS, ?FD DX BURNS
71 YOM REPORTS SOMEONE IN HIS HOUSE TRIED TO USE A LIGHTER TOO CLOSE TO HIS OXYGEN AND IT IGNITED BURNING HIS NASAL HAIRS, RIGHT THUMB AND LEFT HAND. COHGB 3.8, ?FD DX INHALATION INJURY, BURNS
12YOF WAS SETTING THINGS ON FIRE WITH A LIGHTER AND BURNED HER FINGERS.LWOT. DX: BURNS TO FINGERS
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
My wife used a scripto lighter to light a candle, and placed the lighter on the couch. She then lit 4 more candles with the lit one, and the lighter, sitting on the couch, exploded and set fire to the couch.
Picked up a mk lighter when i went to lite it blow up in my face burning my hair, face, neck area and my arm.
My sister started the MK lighter and it exploded in her hand. Her hands were not injured but the explosion scared us both. The next day the same type of lighter was placed on the top of a dryer. Someone turned the dryer on and the MK lighter exploded.
I had used this lighter and it burned my hand. Also I see that it does not have any child proof mechanism that is built in the lighter. I believe any children will be able to play with this lighter and maybe burn themselves.
I used a butane lighter to light a cigarette and set it down. It did not shut off and burned my table.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml98/98094.html Elite Lighter malfunctioned and the flint flew out upon the first light. Also, the lighter stayed lit after I wished to extinguish the flame. I bought the darn thing at Walgreens on Apalachee PKWY in Tallahassee, FL
The consumer had about five of the lighters that exploded at different times without any warning. One was under his laptop, the other four were lying on the desk. The products were not exposed to direct sunlight per the consumer. No injuries.
I came across this ad on [REDACTED]. I have been seeing many videos in general online about people pranking others in food service or retail and this video is next level. This is clearly a high risk product and not a gag by any means. If it was fake fire or something then it would be a gag but it's real fire, pretty sure they use coal to fuel it. Service workers are not to be used for entertainment on social media like this. It's sickening to promote like this and even create a product like this in the first place. If this happened at my job I would've called the police. [REDACTED]
Showing 8 of 29 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to lighters, not specified on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are lighters, not specified?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, lighters, not specified have a danger score of 45/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 1,292 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from lighters, not specified?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the face, accounting for approximately 4,611 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from lighters, not specified increasing or decreasing?
Up 58% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for lighters, not specified injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 4,926 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by lighters, not specified?
Of all ER visits involving lighters, not specified, approximately 18.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (81.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with lighters, not specified?
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 Personal Care & Safety Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 45/100 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 5-14 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.
