SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20221002-293DD-2147353552. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Product: Black Max 50cc 20" 2 cycle gas powered Chainsaw (Black Max 50cc 2 cycle Gasoline powered Chainsaw with 20" guide bar.). Incident: While at work using a 20" Black Max Chainsaw I purchased from Walmart, 2 potentially critical fire hazards occured involving red hot pieces of metal and sparks coming from the muffler of the chainsaw. I noticed the glowing hot metal fall to the ground, and immidietly begins to ignite the dry leaves and dry weeds. I used my saliva between my bare fingers o extinguish the red hot metal and leaves that were Left smoldering. Earlier the same day I had also noticed heat from the surface of the exhaust muffler nearly ignite the moss on the side of wood I was cutting when the muffler contacted the moss and quickly caused the moss to start smoking and burning. This is unacceptable due the POTENTIAL EXTREME DANGER OF A CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE that could arise during use of this product by someone who may not notice the sparks coming out of the muffler or the smoke or fire that may have started at their feet professional tree worker by trade so I know that this chainsaw is intended for HOMEOWNER USE. ANYONE WHO IS UNAWARE OF THE HAZARDS OF THESE SAWS COULD END UP STARTING A FOREST FIRE WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY BURN AND DAMAGE 100'S OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES AND CAUSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in Damage and potentially Cause Injury or Death. Whether or not the consumer was using the unit improperly or is a trained professional ... Meaning THE PERSON WHO was at FAULT for the fire being started would then be held LIABLE FOR ANY PROPERTY DAMAGES, PERSONAL INJURIES, OR LOSSES OF LIFE THAT MAY HAVE OCCURED WHILE USING THIS PRODUCT