Counterfeit squishy toys tied to fire hazards, burns, and recalls
By Sarah Metts
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LANCASTER, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A month after a fire ripped through two rowhomes in Lancaster City and sent one person to the hospital with minor burns, the fire marshal knows how it started and spread.
Counterfeit toy fueled rowhome fire It happened on August 5 in the 100 block of North Reservoir Street around 3 a.m.
Tom Hoffman, the Lancaster City fire marshal, said a counterfeit squishy dumpling toy a family bought the day before the row home fire acted as a catalyst.
“When these things get an initial source to them, they will heat up, they will burst, and flammable materials go everywhere,” said Hoffman.
On the same day as the fire, coincidentally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) posted a press release about the counterfeit toys and how they oftentimes do not comply with federal safety requirements.
“These warnings were mainly health-related,” said Hoffman. “What was not on there was the flammability range of these things.”
Lab testing finds flammable, toxic chemicals Hoffman said he did some research and contacted a laboratory in Georgia to find out what is inside a fake squishy dumpling. “Some of these chemicals include benzene, toluene, cyclohexene, all of which are very flammable and are very toxic to humans,” said Hoffman.
He notified CPSC about the fake toys’ flammability two days after the fire.
This week, Amazon told our National Consumer Unit it proactively removed some squishy toys from its store following reported safety concerns. Consumer Reports also asked CPSC to investigate the safety risks of all squishy toys, not just counterfeits.
The On Your Side team looked into the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) reports from last year for “squeeze and/or squeaker toys.” In 2025, NEISS estimates 1,806 people were treated in emergency departments for injuries related to these toys. Most of the diagnoses were burn-related.
The report does not disclose the exact toy or whether it was fake.
Fire marshal warns consumers about counterfeits Hoffman says he wants to sound the alarm about the dangers of counterfeits. He says just because you buy from a major retailer, it does not mean your product is not a dupe.
“Keep them away from your children and make sure you only have name-brand products,” said Hoffman. “If you have squishy toys that smell a lot like petroleum or a heavy chemical, those have a possibility of being fake and you want to get rid of them. This includes anything that has any rips or tears, packaging that has no safety warnings on it, packaging that has no manufacturer or stamping on the product itself. Those are indications of fake toys.”
Hoffman suggests double bagging the fake dumplings before throwing them in the trash.
Lancaster schools respond to warning As a result of Hoffman’s warning, the School District of Lancaster says it passed the message on to principals who are discouraging kids from bringing dumplings to school. SDOL says it plans to discuss the matter further at its next safety committee meeting in September.
Regarding accountability for the Lancaster City fire, District Attorney Heather Adams confirmed that no one, including the child playing with the squishy dumpling at the time, will face criminal charges.
Social media trend leads to serious injuries Social media challenges involving squishy toys have also led to injuries. Stewart Mallory, an assistant professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at Penn State, said, “I think something people want to do is put it in the microwave, right? That’s at least what I’ve seen. It’s a trend. And that’s a really dangerous thing to do.”
In Nassau County, New York, two sisters microwaved a Nee-Doh squishy toy, which exploded and caused burns. Chief Fire Marshal Michael Uttaro said, “When they removed it from the microwave, it exploded and oozed its gel on them. The 4-year-old suffered burns to her legs, her arms and her face.” A similar incident occurred in Illinois, where a child said, “I didn’t know it was a trend on TikTok. My friend did it before, and she didn’t get hurt.”
Federal database details additional cases The CPSC’s database revealed 10 incident reports last year involving squishy toys, including a case in Missouri where a 7-year-old girl fell into a coma after freezing and microwaving a toy. It remains unclear whether these toys were counterfeit.
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