SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20151216-634A2-2147425791. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Craftsman Model No. 358.748260 (Sears Craftsman electric 220 mph variable speed leaf blower). Incident: I was using an electric Craftsman leaf blower, Model 358.748260, to clear fallen leaves from landscaped areas in my yard. It caught fire, with the fire burning where the prongs plug in to the cord. Within a minute I was able to disconnect the unit, at which time the flames were extinguished. Both the blower and cord are no longer usable. In researching this issue online, I found that other Craftsman electric leaf blower models have been recalled. We purchased this unit directly from Sears in 2007, and used it only briefly every Fall to clean up fallen leaves in our yard. I contacted Sears Home Service and their representative told me that this model has not been recalled. Based on my experience, this Craftsman leaf blower model should be recalled, due to potential fire hazard as a result of only light use.