Samsung is recalling over 1.1 million electric slide-in ranges used for stove tops as the devices can accidentally be turned on by humans or pets and have led to hundreds of fires, according to a statement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission released Thursday afternoon.
Since 2013, Samsung has gotten over 300 reports of people or pets accidentally starting the front-mounted knobs on their electric slide-in ranges, the Commission stated.
These ranges have been involved in roughly 250 fires and 18 of the fires have caused severe property damage, the Commission stated. Forty injuries have been reported with eight requiring medical attention. There have been seven fires in which a pet has died.
The recall involves several models of the Samsung Electric Slide-In Ranges, the Commission stated. Owners can find the model numbers on the inside upper left corner of the oven door or inside the storage bin at the bottom of the oven.
Owners should reach out to Samsung to get a free set of knob locks or covers that work with their respective stove model to install, the Commission stated.
Owners can call Samsung at 833-775-0120 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, the Commission stated. They can also email the company at rangesupport@sea.samsung.com, or online at samsung.com/us/support/range-knob-kit to get free knob locks.
Owners who are using the recalled ranges without the knob locks or covers should keep children and pets away from the knobs, the Commission warned. They should also check the range knobs to make sure they are off before leaving their houses or going to bed. Lastly, they should not leave objects on the range when absent from the home.
Owners who have Wi-Fi-enabled ranges can also turn on the “Cooktop On” notification on the Samsung SmartThings app, the Commission stated. This enables them to be alerted on their smartphone when a cooktop burner is turned on.