By Ramishah Maruf | CNN
New York – Samsung is recalling the knobs on a few of its electric stoves, warning that fires could start if pets – and even people – bump into them.
Several videos show pets unintentionally starting fires by jumping on stoves and waving their paws on the knobs. Colorado Dog In June, he began a house fire when the boxes on the stove caught fire. The whole incident was recorded on the home's surveillance videos.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said about 1.1 million units were affected. Samsung will provide free button locks or covers for certain slide-in electric ranges with front-mounted knobs sold between 2013 and 2024.
“This announcement follows reports that front-mounted stove knobs can be activated by accidental contact by humans or pets and pose a fire hazard if flammable items are left on the stove,” Samsung said in a press release.
The CPSC investigates fires attributable to stoves being began by pets jumping on them or people unintentionally bumping into them.
At a Committee meeting in JuneThe CPSC said it was “aware of incidents where homes have burned down and people have died from house fires caused by stove knobs being accidentally turned on, either by people bumping into the knobs or by pets turning the stove on. The problems affect both gas and electric stoves.”
The recall states that since 2013, Samsung has received greater than 300 reports of accidental activations by pets or humans, leading to roughly 250 fires. At least 18 of those fires caused “significant property damage.” There were also 40 reports of injuries, eight of which required medical attention, and 7 of those fires resulted within the death of pets.
Although the CPSC doesn’t have the authority to force corporations to recall unsafe products, corporations typically voluntarily conform to recall items the agency deems unsafe.
Affected models will be found on the CPSC website.
How to remain protected
Samsung advises its customers to maintain children and pets away from the knobs and to examine that the knobs are turned off after cooking. It also recommends never placing, leaving or storing anything on the stove when it just isn’t in use.
CPSC also similar oven instructionsadding that customers with babies or pets should spend money on safety buttons or covers.
Although Samsung stated that the cookers might be used until the locking latches or covers were installed, the CPSC stated within the recall that within the meantime, consumers were “warned to keep children and pets away from the knobs.”
Samsung said customers can visit this websiteCall Samsung at 1-833-775-0120 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to eight:00 p.m. ET or email rangesupport@sea.samsung.com to receive free button locks or covers.
The knobs already feature a two-stage activation system with a “press and turn” movement.
Samsung said it’s working with the CPSC and has already built safety features into the knobs on its latest models. Samsung said its existing stoves with WiFi capability can send owners a text message when the burner is turned on for the primary time.
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