FireGel Candles Recalled by Consumer Product Safety Commission

Less than a week after , the product that burned 14-year old Michael Hubbard on Memorial Day weekend was voluntarily recalled.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Wednesday that 460,000 bottles and jugs of Napa Home and Garden's FireGel will immediately be pulled from the shelves of retailers across the country.

Hubbard's family members were elated to hear the news.

"We're happy, we're excited," said Hubbard's uncle, Curtis Johnson. "We didn't think it was going to be that quick. Wow ... we're very happy. And we know Michael is going to be very happy."

Hubbard remains at Stony Brook University Medical Center in critical condition, in an induced coma, after suffering third degree burns from the FireGel, a pourable gel fuel that burns itself without a wick. Doctors covered 90 percent of his burns through skin graft surgeries on Tuesday night and, according to Johnson, they are hoping no more surgeries will be required.

Bishop, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, N.Y., state Sen. Ken LaValle, R-Port Jefferson, and Assemblyman Dan Losquadro, R-Shoreham, all called late last week for the CPSC to remove the product from the shelves. Citing the product's "misleading" labeling, Bishop and Gillibrand penned a letter to the federal regulatory agency last Friday. 

“The fact that the CPSC moved so quickly to recall this product should be a wake-up call for consumers about the dangers posed by fire gels and firepots," said Rep. Tim Bishop, D-Southampton. "I hope they will take this time to look at not only this one product, but all liquid fuels and firepots, to make sure that consumers have the information they need to protect themselves and their families.”

Multiple other brands with similar products remain on the shelves, an issue that Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine, R-Center Moriches, is trying to combat by banning all sales of fuel gel products in Suffolk County. was laid on the table on Tuesday, and will be the subject of a public hearing in August.

The CPSC said it was aware of 23 injuries to consumers involving Napa's product.

A spokesman for Napa declined to comment on Wednesday afternoon, saying the company is going to release a statement on Thursday. He said no product from the company had ever been recalled.