Fire pits and tabletop flame devices are now found everywhere—backyards, patios, vacation rentals, resorts, bars, and commercial entertainment venues. Although they create a warm and inviting atmosphere, they are also responsible for thousands of serious burn injuries every year. Many victims suffer deep thermal wounds, permanent scarring, nerve damage, and long-term psychological trauma.
The danger is often far greater than most people realize. Alcohol-fueled and tabletop fire pits can burn with nearly invisible flames, making it difficult to see the active burn zone or recognize when a device is still hot. Some units can also erupt without warning due to flame jetting—a violent ignition event caused by fuel vapors flashing back into the bottle or container.
Because these devices involve high-temperature fuels, unstable containers, drifting vapors, and unpredictable ignition patterns, the resulting injuries can be far more severe than typical household burns.
This guide serves as a central resource for understanding common fire pit injury types, how they occur, what complications they cause, and the immediate steps victims should take after an accident.
Fire pit injuries frequently differ from ordinary burn accidents. Alcohol-based fuels create intense heat and can spread flames rapidly across surfaces, clothing, or skin. Many devices produce flames that are difficult to see the flames in daylight or outdoor lighting, increasing the chance that someone accidentally steps too close or unknowingly reaches into an active burn zone. Fuel vapors from ethanol, gel fuels, and other accelerants may also drift beyond the container, allowing a small spark or ember to ignite unexpectedly.
In more dangerous situations, those vapors can flash backward into the fuel bottle, triggering a flame-jetting explosion—a sudden jet of fire capable of engulfing a bystander in seconds. These violent ignition events often result in deep burns, rapid flame spread, and injuries requiring immediate care at specialized burn centers.
Because fire pit injuries can involve multiple layers of trauma at once—thermal burns, vapor burns, inhalation injuries, and emotional shock—victims often face long-term medical needs.
This page explains each major injury category and provides guidance for families seeking medical care, documentation, and next steps after a fire pit accident.
Fire pit burns occur in several forms, and understanding the differences helps explain why treatment varies so widely from patient to patient. Most victims suffer more than one type of burn during a single incident, creating complications that may require ongoing medical intervention.
Thermal Burns
These are caused by direct contact with flames or radiant heat. Thermal burns from fire pits can be minor with first degree burns frequently reach second degree and third-degree burns damaging multiple layers of skin and underlying tissue. Victims may require debridement, grafting, and later scar revision surgeries. The fire pit burns and scarring can result in permanent disfigurement, leaving a life time of emotional scars as well.
Vapor-Ignition & Flash Burns
Many fire pit injuries involve sudden, high-intensity flare-ups caused by vapor ignition. When fuel vapors accumulate around a pit or tabletop device, they can ignite without warning and create a flash wave of fire. These injuries are often widespread, affecting the face, arms, chest, and hands in a matter of seconds.
Chemical & Fuel Burns
Liquid fuel—especially ethanol gel—can splash or spill during refueling or when a device tips over. These burns combine chemical and thermal injury, increasing depth and slowing the healing process. Victims often require extended wound care and ongoing monitoring for infection.
Contact Burns
Metal rims, ceramic bowls, stone surrounds, and grates retain heat long after flames go out. Many victims receive severe burns when accidentally touching a pit they believed was safe. These burns can be deep and may require surgical intervention.
To help victims understand recovery expectations, this hub links to additional resources addressing scars, grafts, and long-term reconstruction.
Children are among the most vulnerable victims of fire pit accidents. Their thinner skin burns much faster than an adult’s, and they often don’t recognize the danger zones around open flames. Many child burn injuries occur in seconds—when a child trips near a fire pot, touches a hot surface, or stands too close during a sudden flare-up. These accidents frequently happen at backyard gatherings, cookouts, or parties where supervision lapses and bystander injuries can also occur.
Because children are still developing, burns can cause lifelong consequences, including repeated surgeries to address scarring, contractures, and restricted mobility as they grow.
Tabletop fire pits and gel-fuel flame devices are linked to many of the most catastrophic burn injuries reported nationwide. These products often lack basic safety features—such as spill-resistant designs, flame-arrestor technology, stable bases, or clear refueling instructions. When tipped even slightly, they can spray burning gel across clothing, furniture, skin, and nearby bystanders.
Many homeowners and renters are unaware of how volatile these fuels can be. Flames may appear extinguished when they are not, and hidden embers or invisible vapors can ignite instantly when more fuel is added. Multiple manufacturers have issued recalls following severe injuries caused by sudden flash fires, gel splatter, and unstable tabletop units.
Real-world incidents across the country show repeating patterns:
Together, these hazards show why tabletop fire pits and gel-fuel devices remain a serious and often underreported public-safety risk.
A large portion of fire pit injuries are linked to defective or poorly designed products. Common design defects include:
When safer alternative designs exist—and manufacturers fail to use them—they may be held responsible for resulting injuries.
Tabletop fire pit burns and injuries can alter a person’s life permanently. Due to the close proximity of the fire pit and the victim, the injuries can be more intense and the shorter distance doesn’t allow for much time to escape the fire or explosion, especially if a child or a bystander is close by when it occurs. Victims often endure:
Burn injuries frequently require ongoing treatment for years, making documentation and early medical intervention essential.
Victims may be entitled to compensation for:
Severe burn cases frequently result in substantial settlements due to the lifelong consequences victims face.
If you or a loved one suffered burns from a fire pit, tabletop burner, or exploding fuel container, you should not try to handle the aftermath alone. Understanding your rights, preserving evidence, and determining whether you may pursue a fire pit lawsuit can be overwhelming—especially while dealing with painful injuries or caring for an injured family member.
Attorney David P. Willis is a Board-Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with 40+ years of litigation experience, having recovered 100’s of millions of dollars for clients in catastrophic injury, burn, explosion, and product defect cases across the country. His background in national product-safety investigations and complex burn litigation gives victims a powerful advocate when pursuing justice.
You do not have to face this alone. Our team is here to help you understand your potential claim, protect your rights, and move forward with confidence.
Call today for a FREE Case Review or submit your information through our secure online form—your consultation is confidential, and there is no fee unless a recovery is made.
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
FirePitLawsuits.com – National investigations of alcohol-fueled fire pit explosions and burn injuries. * Willis is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law (since 1988), certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.Representing injured clients nationwide through association with local attorneys in compliance with each state’s bar rules. Licensed in Texas and New York. Willis Law Firm, 5005 Riverway Drive, Suite 160, Houston, Tx. – Principal Place of Business – All meetings by appointment only.
Acknowledgment & Thank You – Certain Safety Images and Public-Education Materials, Alerts, and Warnings referenced on this site are courtesy of Health Canada and the CPSC.
