An appliance distributor is expanding a Frigidaire minifridge recall to roughly 964,000 units sold in the United States after multiple fire reports.
The AP report says Canada-based Curtis International added another 330,000 fridges to a previous recall of about 634,000 units from last year. The newly recalled model, EFMIS121, was sold exclusively at Target. The earlier recall covered models EFMIS129, EFMIS137, EFMIS149 and EFMIS175, which had already been tied to overheating, melting or catching fire.
The hazard is straightforward. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission notice cited in the report, electrical components in the fridges can short circuit and ignite the plastic used in the product, creating risks of fire and burns. That makes the recall a product-safety issue rather than a cosmetic defect or convenience problem.
The report says six fire incidents causing property damage have been linked to the EFMIS121 units so far. In the earlier recall, 26 incidents were reported, along with two smoke inhalation injuries. Those numbers explain why the distributor is asking owners to stop using the fridges immediately.
The instructions for consumers are unusually specific. Owners are told to stop using the product, cut the power cord, write “recall” on the front door and send photos to Curtis International to request a refund. That sort of process helps the company confirm destruction and reduce the chance that a recalled unit stays in circulation.
The new recall matters because the products were widely sold and cheaply priced. The AP report says the EFMIS121 fridges were sold at Target stores and online for about $30, while the earlier recalled models were sold by retailers including Walmart and Amazon for $36 to $40. Low-price household electronics can move quickly, which makes effective recall communication especially important.
The article should also note that Curtis International holds licenses to make and distribute some Frigidaire products, while the larger Frigidaire brand is owned by Electrolux Group in Sweden. That helps explain why the recall involves a brand name that consumers may associate with a much larger company than the one actually handling the product line.
For consumers, the practical message is simple: if a Frigidaire mini-fridge matches the recalled models, it should not be used. The report shows that the recall is no longer a narrow product alert but a large safety campaign spanning two separate model groups.
The recall is a reminder that low-cost appliances can still create serious fire hazards if design faults reach the market. The product-specific instructions may seem cumbersome, but they are there to keep recalled units from being used again and to give the company proof that consumers have acted. Because the units were sold through a major retailer and at a relatively low price, the challenge now is communication: many owners may not check recall notices unless the warning is repeated clearly.
Large recalls also depend on how quickly the public can be reached. Products sold online, in stores and through multiple retailers can stay in homes for months before a hazard becomes obvious. That is why the report’s refund instructions and destroy-it steps matter: they are meant to keep a dangerous product from quietly returning to use.
