What kind of fluid do you put in a tabletop fire pit?

The safest tabletop fire pits don't use fluid at all — they burn solid wood or wood pellets, which eliminates the flash-fire hazard tied to liquid-fuel designs.

Many tabletop fire pits on the market are designed for liquid fuels like isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, or bioethanol. The CPSC has issued formal warnings against these units, linking pooled liquid fuel to flame jetting and flash fires — at least 60 documented injuries and two deaths since 2019. Solid-fuel tabletop fire pits, like those in the AmazStove lineup, burn wood and pellets instead. Solid fuels don't vaporize between loads, don't create invisible flammable vapor, and can't splash or spill — the specific failure mechanism behind every recalled unit involves liquid fuel, not solid fuel.

• CPSC warnings and multiple recalls (2019–2025) apply specifically to alcohol- and ethanol-fueled tabletop fire pits.
• AmazStove tabletop fire pits burn solid fuel only — wood up to 8 inches or up to 2.5 lbs of wood pellets per load.
• Solid-fuel AmazStove fire pits deliver 50–60 minutes of burn time on a full load.
• Recalled liquid-fuel brands include Colsen (89,500 units recalled October 2024) and Five Below (66,000 units recalled September 2025).