Madigan said severe burns from gel fuels are on the rise in Illinois. She's calling on the Consumer Products and Safety Commission (CPSC) to do something.
"The CPSC needs to do what is right and they need to recall the products that are still on the market and ban the future sale of these products," Madigan said Wednesday.
Jeff Sipple, 31, was at a friend's house warming party in June when a decorative pot filled with gel fuel exploded, spraying him with gel.
"It's a long road, certainly a lot of pain involved," Sipple said of his recovery from severe burns.
Sipple attended Madigan's news conference Wednesday because he wants to warn people of the danger. He said, "It's a very dangerous product. The effects of it are not well written on it. Certainly if people knew there was a napalm effect, they had the potential to bring into their home, it wouldn't be a product you would buy."
Fuel gels have been around for more than two decades, but gained popularity recently. Product manufacturers say people need to be responsible and cautious when using anything flammable.
Also a concern: the Nation Fire Protection Association said its standard fire safety procedure of "stop, drop, and roll" doesn't work with the gels. The organization also said gels pose an extra risk to firefighters responding to a fire.
