Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is voluntarily recalling about 2.2 million space heaters that can malfunction and overheat, possibly causing fires.
The retail giant said it would recall the Flow Pro, Airtech, Aloha Breeze and Comfort Essentials 1,500-watt heaters, as it has received 21 reports of incidents, including 11 reports of property damage beyond the heater. Because of a malfunction, the heaters can cause smoking, burning, melting and fire, Wal-Mart and the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Injuries were reported in four incidents, three of which required medical attention for minor burns and smoke inhalation. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and return the product to any Wal-Mart for a refund, Wal-Mart and the CPSC said.
The heaters — which were sold in the U.S. from December 2001 to October 2009 for about $18 — are gray with a metal handle on the top, with vents and gray knobs on the front. The model number, which can be found on a label on the lower left corner of the heaters’ back panel, is 1013.