After reported injuries, Fiesta again recalls Blue Ember grills

After getting more reports of injuries and incidents, Fiesta is again recalling its Blue Ember grill because the hose of the gas tank can get too close to the firebox and cause a fire hazard, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today. The company has received 192 reports of grill fires, resulting in nine injuries, including two incidents of major burns on different parts of the body, six incidents of minor burns, and an incident involving temporary hearing loss. The recall includes 88,000 units in the U.S. and 25,000 in Canada.

The recall involves three U.S. models (FG50045, FG50057, FG50069) and two Canadian (C1072-30744, C1072-30754). The serial numbers can be found on the U.S. and Canadian recall notices. In October, Fiesta recalled 47,000 Blue Ember grills including some of the same model numbers. Two months before that, Consumer Reports had asked the CPSC to issue a safety alert about the grill after discovering that it could be assembled incorrectly.  At the time, Fiesta said it had made design changes that reduced the risk of incorrect routing of the burner hose, which created the fire hazard.

This time around, Fiesta is asking consumers to stop using the grill and call the company to obtain a free replacement grease pan assembly and instructions for installing the pan and the gas tank. The grill should not be used until the new grease pan assembly and the gas tank have been installed correctly. Consumers should also inspect the gas burner hose and regulator, which will be replaced free of charge if there are signs of damage. Call Fiesta at 866-740-7849 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, e-mail mnorman@fiestagasgrills.com or visit the company's Web site.

Made in China, the grills were sold in various home centers and by national retailers from November 2006 through June 2008 for between $400 and $500 in the United States and from November 2006 through May 2009 for between $400 and $600 in Canada.

Our take:  We are growing increasingly concerned that the recognized safety standard on gas grills does not go far enough to capture the fire hazards that occur under regular use.