8-year-old caught on fire after tabletop fire pit exploded on vacation, family says

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) - An Arizona family was enjoying a night of roasting marshmallows on vacation when their tabletop fire pit reportedly exploded, catching their 8-year-old son and another child on fire.

The Petersen family went on their annual trip to Oceanside, California, a vacation that included days at the beach, a visit to Legoland and time with friends. But the trip suddenly turned into a nightmare.

The family was roasting marshmallows June 27 at their condo when they say the tabletop fire pit they bought online, a product called the FlikrFire, suddenly began shooting fireballs, setting people on fire.

One of the victims was the Petersens’ 8-year-old son, Brock.

“All of a sudden, a huge fireball came out of the roaster, and it lit my son up like a torch,” said Brock’s father, Jon Petersen. “I got really scared, and that’s when I was screaming, ‘Somebody help.’”

Brock and another child were flown to the hospital.

“We felt like we were so blindsided by this whole thing,” said Brock’s mother, Amanda Petersen.

Brock suffered the most serious injuries, including second-degree burns to his face, neck and arms, his father says. The 8-year-old spent 19 days in an ICU burn unit before his family says he began to recover.

“It was just an emotional roller coaster, trying to stay strong for Brock but also just experiencing all the highs and lows from it,” Amanda Petersen said.

FlikrFire was recalled 18 months before the explosion

What the Petersens didn’t know at the time was that the FlikrFire had been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission about a year and a half before their trip.

The product was pulled from the market in December 2024 after pool fires and flame jetting resulted in the deaths of two people and seriously burned at least 60 others. Pool fires happen when flames burn along the surface of pooled or spilled flammable liquids, and flame jetting is when flames erupt from containers of liquid fuel.

The FlikrFire is fueled by isopropyl, or rubbing, alcohol and typically produces a small, low flame. The Petersens say nothing about the product had seemed dangerous before that night.

“It looked really safe. It had a tiny little flame. You put a little bit of rubbing alcohol in it and light it. It never jetted up like this before that we had seen,” Jon Petersen said.

However, the CPSC says these alcohol or other liquid-burning types of fire pits are extremely dangerous. Rubbing alcohol burns at temperatures over 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause third-degree burns in less than one second.

Family urges anyone with the product to throw it away

Now that Brock is recovering, the Petersens say they are speaking out specifically to make sure other families don’t go through what they did.

“We wanted to get the word out to people, if they do have any of these portable fireplaces like that, throw them away because they’re not safe,” Jon Petersen said.

The FlikrFire was previously sold online, including at Amazon.com, Shopify.com, Wix.com, Macys.com, Nordstrom.com and NeimanMarcus.com. Anyone who owns the product is encouraged to discard it immediately.

The CPSC says similar alcohol or other liquid-burning fire pits are sold by many retailers and e-commerce sites and should not be used.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Petersens with Brock’s medical expenses as he continues to recover.