Many California homes are equipped with gas fired horizontal forced air heaters that are installed in attics. In the mid-1990’s, fire departments in Southern California began documenting fires caused by a particular make of these furnaces.

In January of 1994, Manhatten Beach Fire Department Fire Marshal Steve Age identified Premier Gas Horizontal furnaces as a potential fire hazard. In his January 9, 1994 letter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the California State Fire Marshal and Consolidated Industries (maker of the "Premier" furnace), Fire Marshal Age warned that three fires in one year had occurred in Manhatten Beach all caused by Premier attic furnaces. He warned that the fire boxes in these furnaces malfunctioned, overheated, and caused fires.

In December of 1998, three Premier furnace fires in three weeks in Torrance caused the Torrance Fire Department to become involved in this issue. Torrance Fire Department issued a NOTICE OF FIRE HAZARD following two fires in a tract of 52 custom homes all equipped with Premier furnaces. This notice was used as a press release and to inform home owners and contractors about the fire hazard. The Daily Breeze newspaper published a story on January 9, 1999 regarding the fire hazard posed by these furnaces.

On January 17 1999, another Premier furnace fire in the same tract of 52 custom homes in Torrance occurred. At Torrance Fire Department’s invitation, Consolidated Industries sent a representative to Torrance to confer on this continuing fire problem. This representative met with Torrance Fire Department and the Gas Company and reviewed several of the furnaces as installed in the 52 home tract where the fires had occurred. Consolidated Industries purchased back at least one of the furnaces from these homes for further investigation.

In April of 1999, the Torrance Fire Department solicited the help of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in addressing the fires caused by Consolidated furnaces. Fire reports, photographs and documents related to Consolidated furnace fires were forwarded to the CPSC for their review. The CPSC was sponsoring a study of the issue.

Between April of 1999 and September of 2000, the Torrance Fire Department continued communicating with the CPSC, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning contractors, other fire departments, and homeowners who owned Consolidated furnaces.

Fires and carbon monoxide exposures alleged to have been caused by specific types of Consolidated furnaces resulted in more than one class action suit being brought against them in California Courts. The CPSC was apparently prevented from taking definitive action on the issue when Consolidated Industries filed for bankruptcy.

On September 27, 2000, a comprehensive investigative report into the fire hazards posed by these furnaces was published in the Los Angeles Times. This article was responsible for bringing much needed public attention to the issue. On this same day, the CPSC also published a "Warning About Defective Furnaces in California". In the days and weeks following, television news and several newspaper agencies picked up the story and spread the word.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Review the attached documents and make yourself familiar with the issue. Then:

1. Determine if you have one of the furnaces identified in the NOTICE OF FIRE HAZARD attachment.
2. If you do, contact your local gas company and a licensed Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) contractor for an inspection your furnace.

Unfortunately, owners of these furnaces are "on their own" at this time in dealing with repairing or replacing these furnaces. Some gas service providers will only go so far as to identify your furnace as one of the "suspect" group. Some will "red tag" it as not to be operated. Most all gas service providers will advise you to call a licensed HVAC contractor.

When you call an HVAC contractor for an inspection, be sure to tell them you have a "Consolidated" furnace. Make yourself comfortable with your contractors knowledge of the issue. When they arrive to conduct the inspection, ask them to include:

1. A thorough inspection of your burner and heat exchanger.
2. A test for any possible carbon monoxide emissions.

If you choose to continue using a furnace that is identified as one of the suspect group, it is strongly advised that you:

1. Provide an air space beneath the unit.
2. Provide a non-combustible surface (dry wall, sheet rock, cement board) beneath the unit.
3. Install an ionization type smoke detector in the attic.
4. Continue to have the furnace professionally inspected each year.

We at Torrance Fire Department hope you will find this information helpful, and invite you to call with any additional questions you may have on this or any other fire safety matter. You may call our Fire Prevention Division during regular business hours at (310) 618-2973.