Health Canada warns of dangerous oils, oil lamps, oil candles and fire pot inserts sold by Firefly

Health Canada is advising consumers of the potential dangers posed by lamp oils and other related products sold by Firefly. These oil lamps, candles, fire pot inserts and the oils sold by Firefly do not have child-resistant closures or display the proper warning information. The oil lamps, oil candles and fire pot inserts are intended to be used with paraffin or citronella lamp oil. Liquid paraffin and citronella oil can pose a danger to human health, especially to children, if consumed. Accidently drinking liquid paraffin or citronella oil can cause you to cough up or vomit up the oil. This coughing or vomiting causes small particles of the oil to travel into the lungs, and may result in severe health effects including injury to the lungs or death. Other oils sold by Firefly may also pose the same hazard. Health Canada has contacted Firefly, which is based in the United States, and has requested the company voluntarily recall the affected products. To date, Health Canada has not received a response to this request and is therefore advising Canadians of the potential risks posed by these products. The products were available for purchase in Canada through Amazon.ca and have been removed from sale. Firefly oils, oil lamps, oil candles and fire pot inserts were sold in Canada for an unknown period of time on Amazon.ca and potentially other retailers. An unknown number of units were sold in Canada.

Physical hazard - Chemical hazard

Consumers should immediately stop using the affected fuels, oil lamps, oil candles and fire pot inserts and dispose of them according to their municipality’s hazardous waste guidelines. Not all consumer products that are found online meet Canadian regulatory requirements. Sometimes, these products may not have the necessary labelling or instructions, which could lead to misuse or injury. Like many other jurisdictions, in Canada, consumer products are not approved before they are sold. They are monitored for safety after they have been released onto the market, but not every product is tested. It’s important for consumers to make informed decisions about their purchases, especially those made online. Learn more about the potential risks of buying consumer products online .