Atico International USA Recalls Heaters Due to Fire Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Dollar General Stores

Hazard

These heaters have caught fire, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Remedy

The firm is out of business, the remedy is no longer available, and the product should be discarded or destroyed.

Refund

Incidents & injuries

Atico has received eight reports of the A14B1053 Heater Fan overheating and 21 reports of the A14B0979 Quartz Heater overheating. Reports for the A14B1053 Heater Fan included one report of damage to an electrical outlet and wall and one report of flames coming out of the front of the unit. Reports for the A14B0979 Quartz Heater included damage to the heater's plug, one report of flames coming from a control knob and one report of a consumer receiving minor burns to the hand. For both products, reports included incidents of smoke and melting of the plastic casing.

Product description

Both heaters can be identified by the following model and item numbers and universal product codes (UPC): Model# Item# UPC Heater Fans NSB-200B A14B1053 40022749831 Portable Quartz Radiant Heaters HD-700 A14B0979 400022750066 Model numbers are found on a silver colored sticker on the bottom of the unit. Additionally, both heaters are marked with manufacturing dates between 6/1/2010 and 8/30/2010. The date code appears as "DATE CODE: 0610"

Sold on

Dollar General Stores from September 2010 to December 2010. The heater fans sold for about $15 and the quartz radiant heater sold for about $42.