Holiday lights that pose fire hazard are recalled

Three months after Christmas, 13,000 strings of LED lights in star shapes have been recalled by Four Star Group of Hopkinton, Mass, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The lights can smoke, melt and pose a fire hazard—and the Underwriters Laboratory label does not appear to be authentic.

"The CPSC found no UL verifiable marking on the recently recalled Fresh Décor 10 Count LED Star String holiday lights," said spokesman Scott Wolfson. "As with the majority of holiday lights, that we traditionally recall around the Christmas season, these Fresh Décor lights had poor wiring, which could cause them to overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers. It is so important for all homeowners to ensure that there is a legitimate marking of a nationally recognized testing laboratory on the lights they buy or use."

As we wrote earlier, UL certifies lights for indoor or outdoor use. Light strings intended for indoor-only use have green holographic UL Marks, while those intended for both indoor and outdoor use have red holographic UL Marks. Lights without the mark may be counterfeit or pose a fire hazard.

The recalled lights come as a string of 10 LED bulbs, each covered with a clear, star shape. "Fresh Décor" is printed on the front of the product's packaging; the UPC (#7989390761) is printed on the back, below the bar code. They were sold in Safeway stores nationwide, including Carrs, Dominick's, Genuardi's, Pak'n Save, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons, from October 2008 through December 2008 for about $7.

Consumers not use the recalled lights and return the product to any Safeway store for a full refund. For more information, contact Safeway toll-free at (877) 723-3929  between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, or contact the retailer where the lights were purchased.

Update. CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson asked us to correct a statement he made regarding this recall: "Although CPSC staff did not find a hologram of the UL mark on the holiday lights recalled by Four Star Group USA on March 25, 2009, upon further review staff did find a UL listing number on a tag on the product. Four Star Group voluntarily reported to CPSC and proposed a recall, which lead to an announcement stating that electrical wiring in the lights can overheat and pose a fire hazard to consumers.  It was inaccurate of me to state that the product had "poor wiring," even though there were two reports of smoking and/or melting lights."

Other recent recalls

• 14,000 Aviva Leaps and Bounds folding trampolines (fall hazard)
• 2,900 OKK Trading Baby Necessities pacifiers (choking hazard)
• 2,700 Zebco children's fishing poles (lead paint)
• 760 Central Fireplace direct vent gas fireplaces (laceration hazard)