A tabletop fire pit erupted into a fireball explosion that left a California navy veteran catastrophically scarred, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Amazon.

Anthony Trevino, a 31-year-old San Diego resident, sued the online marketplace for selling a defective pit that erupted without warning in a “flame jetting” explosion.

“I never imagined a product sold to me as ‘safe and easy’ would do this to me in my own home,” said Trevino, a former US Navy helicopter search-and-rescue swimmer.

“My whole life, my job was to pull people out of danger. I can’t undo what happened to me, but I can hold Amazon accountable to ensure they stop selling products that are so dangerous they can alter the course of someone’s life,” he added.

According to the lawsuit, Trevino suffered third-degree burns across his face, neck and upper body.

Pictures show his entire chest and arms in brown and pink, with presumably some of his skin flamed off. His face was not spared, and black markings could be seen on his neck.

The scarring is permanent, the filing alleges, and Trevino was in the hospital for weeks. He also suffered nerve damage that “affect every part of his daily life.”

The complaint said that Trevino purchased a Colsen “Tabletop Rubbing Alcohol Outdoor Fire Pit” from Amazon in February 2021, along with two bottles of medical-grade isopropyl alcohol. The listing allegedly marked the pit as “Easy & Safe to Use,” with the seller assuring the product’s safety.

In September 2025, Trevino was refilling the fire pit on his apartment balcony and assumed the flame had gone out.

However, alcohol flame is invisible when it burns low. So when Trevino poured the filler, the flame exploded, according to the lawsuit, hard enough that decorative lighting and artificial turf was melted.

Amazon should have known of the dangers, the lawsuit claimed. Such tabletop fire pits were banned in countries like Australia and Canada, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled around 89,500 Colsen-branded fire pits in 2024.

Amazon allegedly sent recall notices that only warned the product “may not meet current safety standards” instead of flagging the potential for severe burns. The company still sells the dangerous pits, claimed the lawsuit.

Trevino’s attorneys argued that Amazon will not be able to use the defense that it’s simply a distributor not liable for products sold due to a California ruling.

“Amazon decides what goes on its shelves, takes a cut of every sale and they even told Anthony which fuel to buy,” said attorney Jeremy Robinson. “When you stock the shelf and ring the register, you own what happens to the innocent people whose lives are permanently altered.”

The California Post reached out to Amazon for comment.

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