Firepots - Health Canada Notice - Retail Council of Canada
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Firepots – Health Canada Notice

October 11, 2019

RCC is in regular communication with Health Canada in regards to the safety notice on Firepots it issued late on October 9 due to flame jetting (Firepots are also known as fireburners, portable fireplaces, firebowls, patio burners, flamepots, firelights or table top fire pits, are portable, decorative lighting accents that support open flame burning).

At this time Health Canada (HC) is requesting that retailers stop selling affected products.

So far HC has received 12 reported incidents with 2 deaths and 26 burn injuries with some being described as severe and life-threatening or disabling.

HC’s Notice focuses on two distinct products: fuel containers and firepots.

  1. Non-refillable containers of pourable alcohol-based fuel. Fuel containers that meet the draft ASTM WK60590 standard do not pose the same risk.
  2. Firepots, marketed for either indoor and/or outdoor use. They generally consist of a pot or base, usually made of a ceramic or other heat resistant material, an open fuel reservoir (burn cup) that holds alcohol-based fuel, and may also include a snuff tool to extinguish the flame. For clarity, the following products are not of concern:
  3. Firepots that meet the requirements of ASTM F3363-19, or equivalent.
  4. Firepots that use non-pourable fuel, such as wood, propane and natural gas; and
  5. Products that do not have an open fuel reservoir, such as a refillable oil lamp and outdoor garden torches, which use a wick to sustain the flame.

You can find Health Canada’s advisory HERE. Or for more information on the risk of flame jetting click HERE.

RCC Next Steps:

  • RCC will continue to liaise with Health Canada, members, other impacted industry associations and will advise members with any further developments.
  • RCC will monitor media and update members as necessary.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact: Cory Anderson, Senior Manager, Government Relations & Regulatory Affairs at canderson@retailcouncil.org or 613-656-7901 or Jason McLinton, Vice President, Grocery Division and Regulatory Affairs at jmclinton@retailcouncil.org or 613-656-7903