Outdoor Patio Heaters Or Firepits (manufactured)
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 394
Up 43% over 5 years
The verdict
Outdoor Patio Heaters Or Firepits (manufactured) carry a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 4,030 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 43% over the last five years.
- 42/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 4,030
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 11.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 394 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 42/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume4,030 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)11.1%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+43%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Outdoor Patio Heaters Or Firepits (manufactured) (CPSC product code 394, in the Kitchen Small Appliances & Housewares category) generate an estimated 4,030 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 76,570 ER-treated injuries across the 19-year span from 2006 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 42/100 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 43% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2020 (6,551 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (1,147 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 12,707 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burns, thermal to the lower leg (5,622 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 15,318 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 11.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 100 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) 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 (2006–2024)
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 | 9,459 | 5,859 | |
| 5-14 | 10,105 | 3,921 | |
| 15-24 | 7,426 | 3,254 | |
| 25-34 | 5,225 | 3,493 | |
| 35-44 | 4,255 | 4,227 | |
| 45-54 | 4,586 | 2,872 | |
| 55-64 | 4,229 | 2,819 | |
| 65-74 | 1,719 | 1,195 | |
| 75+ | 917 | 1,002 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Foot | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Leg | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Lower Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Leg | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Trunk | Burns, Thermal | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Upper Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Knee | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
54YOM HIT A PIECE OF WOOD WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER AND TEH WOOD FLEW AND HIT A FIRE PIT AND THEN HIT HIM IN THE FACE RESULTING IN A LACERATION TO HIS RIGHT EYEBROW. DX: FACIAL LACERATION
5YOM C/O HAND BURN, HE WAS RUNNING AND FELL BACKWARD AND LANDED IN FIREPIT THAT WAS SMOULDERING. DX;FIRST DEGREE BURN.
2YOM WAS OUTSIDE PLAYING AND FELL HIT HEAD ON FIRE PIT DX MINOR CLOSED HEAD INJURY SCALP LACERATION
33 YOM TRIPPED ON A FIRE PIT FELL INJURED RIBS NO FD DX: CONTUSION
7YOM WAS WALKING BAREFOOT INTO A FIREPIT THAT WAS LIT LAST EVENING AND THERE WERE STILL HOT EMBERS AND IT BURNED HIS FOOT DX:THERMAL BURN TO FOOT
10 YOM WAS ROASTING FOOD OVER A RAISED METAL FIREPIT AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE. HE TRIPPED AND GRABBED THE SIDE OF THE HOT FIREPIT TO PREVENT HITTING THE GROUND AND BURNED HIS HAND AND FINGERS. DX PARTIAL-THICKNESS BURNS
22YOM PATIENT WAS DRINKING, HE PASSED OUT AND FELL FACE FIRST INTO A FIREPIT. BAL 33. DX: FACIAL BURN, RIGHT HAND BURSITIS
29 YOM WAS POURING GASOLINE ON AN OUTDOOR FIRE PIT WHEN A SPARK CAUGHT THE GAS STREAM AND EXPLODED THE CAN. PT'S CLOTHING CAUGHT ON FIRE. FD NS. DX: PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN LEFT WRIST, PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN MULTIPLE SITES OF LEFT HAND
21YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED AFTER THE PATIENT GOT BURNED ON HIS LEFT FOOT WHEN A HOT LOG ROLLED OUT OF THE FIREPIT COMPLAINING OF FOOT PAIN AND SWELLING. NO FD DX: FOOT PAIN AND SWELLING
20MOM WAS PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD THAT HAD A FIRE PIT THAT WAS USED TWO DAYS AGO FELL INTO IT AND THERE WERE STILL HOT EMBERS DX THERMAL BURN TO BOTH HANDS
79YOF BROUGHT IN BY EMS DUE TO TRIP AND FALL. FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT HEAD ON A SQUARE METAL FIREPIT. HIT BACK OF HEAD ON CORNER. NOT ON BLOOD THINNERS. DX: INJURY OF HEAD, LACERATION OF SCALP, FALL, ATHEROSCLEROSIS
42YOF PRESENTS WITH HIP PAIN. PATIENT STATES SHE GOT TANGLED UP WITH HER DOGS YESTERDAY AND FELL ONTO THE FIRE PIT AT HOME. DX: HIP PAIN
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Purchased an outdoor gas fire pit from Amazon. The brand is TACKLife. Contained in the shipment were lava rocks to be used with the product. After about a month of use, one evening while sitting next to the fire pit I heard a pop and was hit by an exploding piece of lava rock at the corner of my eye. The skin was burned ! After an online search I discovered the rocks absorb moisture and can explode when heated! Need I say more that a product such as this should not be used AT ALL with fire pits! Fire glass is the recommended product to be used with outdoor gas fire pits.
We bought a firepot and was using it on our table outside on the patio. I was leaning back in my chair and slipped backwards. When I fell backwards my foot caught the corner of the table and lifted the one side. This caused the firepot to roll over and toss fuel onto my fiance's skirt. She stood up startled, and the gel spread the whole way down her leg. She tried Stop Drop and Roll, to no avail, as soon as she would roll back, it would flash back up. Eventually she stood up and I ripped her skirt off piece by piece, burning my knuckles severely and other various parts of my fingers. By the time we had her skirt ripped off, she was burnt from her hip to her knee all the way around the front/sides of her left leg. We were taken to the ER where she was discovered to have extensive 2nd degree and some 3rd degree burns. I had extensive 2nd degree burns to my hands. The worst part is, that the skirt did not have a single singed thread on it, meaning only the fuel caused her burns. Not only is the Gel unsafe, but they are selling pots that are not designed properly. The one we purchased was the shape of an Egg with the bottom and top cut off. As soon as this thing tips, it wants to spin and roll. We have pictures and Hospital records that are available upon request.
This is an ourdoor table with fire pit. Upon starting the unit, flames enveloped starting in the middle bottom of the table up to the fire pit. Flames are only supposed to exit at the fire pit burners, however, flames were exiting near the bottom of the table and traveling the entire way up to the fire pit. This is a very dangerous situation - the leak is not occuring at the propane tank, but rather in the pipe carrying the gas to the burners. The flames burned through the electric starter wires and damaged the inside of the table.
I purchased a Navine 43 inch propane gas fire pit in 2022. It has a beautiful black glass table top. A couple of months ago we were inside when we heard an explosion. To our shock the glass table top exploded sending chards of glass in a 12 foot radius. Thank heavens no one or any of my pets were out there at the time. It could have injured or blinded a child and adult or a pet. I took pictures and sent it off to the company. They were quick to respond and offer a replacement. The replacement never made it here as it broke in transit. After careful consideration we decided it was too risky to use a replacement of which I am still waiting for. This is a very unsafe product and needs to be taken off the market. I've asked for a refund but they informed me it was past the warranty/ refund date. I wanted you to know this firepit was not used a lot. It was under the cover of our porch, out of any direct sunlight. The glass was never abused by setting anything down hard.
I purchased a Hampton Bay "Highland Point" 5 piece patio set, including an outdoor gas fire pit. The fire pit was used for approximately 4 months in the previous fall/winter season. We were preparing the fire pit for use in the upcoming season and when starting the fire pit, we noticed that the flames were unusually high and sporadic. We also noticed the smell of propane and immediately disconnected the tank and turned the device off. However, the flame continued to burn (excess gas in the line). When inspecting, it was identified that there is a major leak around the connector and couplings in the fire pit's gas line. This resulted in a minor burn (thankfully), but the potential for a major disaster was imminent. The product is just over 1 year old and the line has a major fail/fault.
While using Korniful Portable Tabletop Firepit, which called for use of 70% liquid Isopropyl Alcohol as fuel, was re-fueling the Firepit when it suddenly flames jetting out from the firepit, engulfing the consumer in flames and causing severe burns to consumer's leg leg, abdomen, right arm.
I purchased a fire pit from Amazon in December 2015 for a house that was being renovated. We began using it in the summer of 2017. The description of the firepit said it had a stone base. As the firepit got hot, pieces began to shoot off of the product. They appeared to be plaster, not stone
burns to the arms, left leg, abdomen and neck and face. Her burn occurred on 6/15. She was sitting outside with a tabletop fire pit with her boyfriend. He added some fuel to the fire pit and unexpectedly it exploded or emitted some chaotic flames. Her shirt ignited, she does not think that the fuel itself got on her limbs. The boyfriend grabbed her and put out the flames in the sort of stop drop and roll maneuver.
Showing 8 of 100 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) have a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 4,030 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured)?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 12,707 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) increasing or decreasing?
Up 43% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured) injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 15,318 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured)?
Of all ER visits involving outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured), approximately 11.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (88.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with outdoor patio heaters or firepits (manufactured)?
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 42/100 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.