About Northwest Fire Pits
Northwest sells a rectangular bioethanol tabletop fire pit, Model 80-BIOFP-1-HD, in black with steel and tempered glass construction, a wool wick burner with a 140mL fuel capacity, and four-sided see-through tempered glass panels. The product measures 14 inches long by 7.25 inches wide by 8 inches tall, provides 2,000 BTUs of heat, is advertised as capable of warming rooms up to 250 square feet, and is sold with a metal flame snuffer and decorative rocks.
The product is sold at Home Depot and on Wayfair and is positioned as a housewarming or holiday gift for indoor and outdoor use — including any room in the home. Northwest’s marketing describes the tempered glass as offering consumers “a safe and enjoyable 360-degree view of the dancing flames at parties or get-togethers.”
What “Safe” Doesn’t Cover
Northwest’s “safe 360-degree view” claim addresses the glass enclosure — but the glass panels that provide that view do nothing to address the hazard the CPSC has identified as the root cause of injuries and deaths across this product category. The danger is not from flames escaping through the glass. The danger is from what happens when a user pours fresh bioethanol into a burner that still contains a residual, nearly invisible flame.
When that happens, the incoming fuel can ignite in a flame jetting explosion that travels outward from the burner — not from inside the glass panels — onto the user’s hands, face, and body before they have time to react. The tempered glass that makes the product beautiful to watch provides no protection against a flame jetting event occurring at the moment of refueling [1].
The Major Retail Distribution Problem
Most tabletop fire pit brands in this product category are sold through Amazon storefronts with minimal vetting. Northwest’s presence at Home Depot and Wayfair is different — both are established major retailers with supplier relationships and product review processes that consumers reasonably trust to filter out dangerous products.
Under product liability law, retailers that sell defective products can face liability alongside manufacturers, regardless of whether the retailer designed or manufactured the product. A consumer who purchased a Northwest fire pit from Home Depot trusted that the product had cleared a meaningful review process — and that trust may itself be relevant to any legal claim.
Federal Warnings and Related Recalls
In December 2024, the CPSC issued a sweeping consumer alert declaring all alcohol-burning tabletop fire pits “extremely dangerous,” linking them to two deaths and more than 60 serious burn injuries and urging all consumers to stop using them immediately [1]. In July 2026, the CPSC issued a specific warning against Houswise Tabletop Fire Pits after seven burn injuries including third-degree burns were reported — and the manufacturer refused to recall the product [2].
Can I File a Lawsuit?
Consumers who were burned while using a Northwest Bio Ethanol Tabletop Fire Pit purchased at Home Depot, Wayfair, or any other retailer may have significant legal options against Northwest and the retailer involved. 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
2. https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2026/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Stop-Using-Houswise-Tabletop-Fire-Pits-Immediately-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Burn-Injury-or-Death-from-Flame-Jetting-and-Fire-Hazards