Dimplex North America of Ontario, Canada has issued a voluntary recall for about 700,000 of its remote control kits for electric fireplaces and stoves, manufactured in China.
According to a recall alert issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the plug-in wall unit for the remote control kits can overheat, posting a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Dimplex says that it has received about 5000 reports of the plug-in wall units overheating, including 19 reports of house damage, and one report of a house fire that resulted in “considerable” property damage.
The recalled remote control kits were sold with several brands of electric fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts in mass merchandise, home improvement, specialty fireplace and furniture retailers from January 1998 through December 2008 for between $200 and $1500.