About Houswise Fire Pits
Houswise is a direct-to-consumer brand that sells concrete tabletop fire pits and their own proprietary bioethanol fuel at houswise.com and on Amazon. Its lineup includes two main models: the Vesper — a 15-inch rectangular concrete tabletop fire pit — and the Altair, a smaller mini concrete fire pit bowl. Both burn bioethanol or isopropyl alcohol in an open burner and are sold with roasting sticks for s’mores, ceramic wool wicks, an insulating cup, a protective pad, and a fire extinguisher lid.
Houswise also manufactures its own branded bioethanol fuel, which it sells in single bottles and 3-packs — making it one of the few brands in this space that controls both the fire pit and the fuel used in it.
The ASTM Claim That Doesn’t Hold Up
Houswise’s Vesper product page states the fire pit is “ASTM-certified for indoor use, ensuring it won’t trigger smoke detectors when paired with our recommended bio ethanol fuel.” But the ASTM standard most relevant to this product category — ASTM F3363-19 — is not a certification that any alcohol-burning open-container fire pit can earn. It is a safety standard that the CPSC says these products violate by design [1].
Telling consumers a product is “ASTM-certified for indoor use” while federal regulators have declared the entire product category “extremely dangerous” and linked it to two deaths and more than 60 injuries creates a specific legal problem: consumers who relied on that certification claim when deciding to use the product indoors were making a purchase decision based on a representation that conflicts directly with federal findings.
Indoor Use and Invisible Flames
Houswise specifically markets its fire pits for living rooms, balconies, movie nights, and family s’mores sessions — all indoor or semi-enclosed settings. Those environments present a heightened risk precisely because bioethanol burns with a nearly colorless, nearly invisible flame that is hardest to see in dim or ambient indoor lighting.
When a user cannot see whether the flame is still burning, the most basic safety instruction — “do not add fuel while the fire is active” — cannot be meaningfully followed. Pouring fresh bioethanol into a burner that still contains a residual invisible flame can trigger a sudden flame jetting explosion, propelling burning fuel outward onto anyone in the room [1].
Dual Liability: Product and Fuel
Because Houswise manufactures and sells both the fire pit and its own proprietary bioethanol fuel, it faces potential liability on two fronts simultaneously. A consumer injured while using the Houswise fire pit with Houswise fuel has a potential claim against the same company for both the defective product design and the dangerous fuel it supplied.
Lawsuits across the country are targeting manufacturers, fuel suppliers, and retail platforms that continued selling alcohol-burning fire pit products after the CPSC’s December 2024 consumer alert. Houswise’s control over both the fire pit and its fuel supply chain makes it a particularly relevant target for legal investigation.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
Consumers who were burned while using a Houswise Vesper or Altair tabletop fire pit — particularly those who relied on the brand’s “ASTM-certified for indoor use” claim — may have significant legal options. A class action lawsuit could allow affected consumers to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, permanent scarring or disfigurement, lost wages, and other related losses. Contact an attorney promptly to have your case evaluated.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2025/Consumer-Alert-Stop-Using-Alcohol-or-Other-Liquid-Burning-Fire-Pits-That-Violate-Voluntary-Standards-and-Present-Flame-Jetting-and-Fire-Hazards-Two-Deaths-and-Dozens-of-Serious-Burn-Injuries-Reported