Counterfeit squishy toy helped fuel Pennsylvania row home fire, fire marshal says

LANCASTER, Pa. —

Two weeks after a fire ripped through two row homes in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and sent one person to the hospital with minor burns, the fire marshal knows how it started and spread.

Counterfeit toy fueled row home fire

Tom Hoffman, the Lancaster City Fire Marshal, said a counterfeit squishy dumpling toy a family bought the day before the Aug. 5 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 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,” Hoffman said.

He notified the CPSC about the counterfeit toy’s flammability two days after the fire.

This week, Amazon told Hearst Television’s National Consumer Unit that it proactively removed some squishy toys from its store following reported safety concerns.

Sister station WGAL 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,” Hoffman said. “If you have squishy toys that smells 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.