SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Fire / ignition

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260223-83B93-2147323338. Severity: Incident, No Injury. Product: Bella 138036 (Bella brand 2-Slice Slim Toaster With one long slot (instead of the traditional two) and a slim 3.5" profile, the bella 2-Slice Slim Toaster Oat color Model: 138036 SKU: 4760911). Incident: I am formally reporting a serious fire hazard incident involving a Bella toaster that was purchased new only days prior to the event. While being used under normal operating conditions to toast bread, the unit experienced a sudden internal ignition failure. The toaster began emitting extremely dense smoke almost immediately. Within moments, the exterior plastic housing began melting and deforming. The electrical cord burned and its insulation failed. This was not minor overheating or food debris ignition. The appliance experienced a combustion-level internal failure. The volume of smoke was severe enough to fill my entire two-story home (five bedrooms). All smoke alarms were activated throughout the residence. At the time of the incident, the home was occupied by an 83-year-old elderly family member, my 20-year-old son, and two household pets. My son disconnected the unit and removed it from the home to prevent further escalation. The appliance was completely destroyed. As a result of this event: The toaster casing melted. The electrical cord burned and was compromised. Kitchen cabinetry sustained visible smoke and heat damage. The residence filled with heavy smoke, requiring prolonged ventilation. There remains a persistent odor consistent with plastic combustion. This appliance was used exactly as intended and had been owned for only a few days. A toaster designed for high-heat food preparation should not melt, ignite, or produce combustion-level smoke under normal operation. The damaged product has been preserved in its post-incident condition and documented with photogr