The Recall Desk
Our severity:CriticalCPSC·01124·Announced 2001-04-17

Gladstrong Disposable Lighters Recalled Due to Fire Hazard and Death

Gladstrong Investments USA is recalling about 13 million disposable lighters because their child-resistant mechanisms are ineffective, posing a fire hazard that resulted in one death.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 5/5 (Critical).

Highest-severity recall. The hazard can cause serious injury or death. Stop using the product now and follow the agency's instructions.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly reports a death resulting from the use of the recalled product, which mandates a severity score of 5 (Critical) according to the rubric.

Plain-English summary

Gladstrong Investments USA, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., is recalling approximately 13 million disposable lighters sold nationwide from January 1998 through February 2001. The lighters, which were sold in convenience, drug, and discount stores for about $1, have brand names such as "BODA-BING," "GIL," "HAPPY," or "WAX" stamped on their metal tops and are marked "MADE IN CHINA." Specific UPC bar codes include "0-80692-99930-1," "0-295114-0," or those starting with "7-55998."

The recall was issued because the lighters' child-resistant mechanisms are frequently ineffective, allowing young children to operate them and start fires. CPSC and Gladstrong Investments have received a report of a 4-year-old girl who died after starting a fire with one of these lighters and hiding in a closet, causing an estimated $72,000 in damages. In another incident, two brothers, aged 4 and 6, ignited clothing and paper inside a car, causing about $1,500 in damages, though they were not injured.

Consumers should stop using these lighters immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, consumers can call Gladstrong at (877) 666-0664 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

The recalled product

Product
Gladstrong disposable lighters
Manufacturer
Gladstrong Investments USA, of Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Category
Consumer Product — Lighters
Hazard
Affected units
13

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

UPCs (1)

  • 080692999301

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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