Costco is pulling 567,000 myCharge portable chargers, citing concerns they'll turn your bag into a mini bonfire after reports of overheating and two fires causing $165,000 in damages.

In a move to prevent customers from inadvertently transforming their daily commute into a pyrotechnic display, Costco has announced a recall of myCharge POWER HUB All-In-One 10,000mAh portable chargers. Sparking concerns emerged after 120 overheating reports and two fires resulted in significant property damage. Consumers are urged to contact myCharge for a free replacement and follow strict disposal guidelines to avoid further mishaps.

While the product's name suggests it might power up your devices in a flash, some unfortunate customers have found that the myCharge POWER HUB All-In-One 10,000mAh portable charger actually does a little too much sparking. These chargers, which have been available from January 2022 through November 2023, are now subject to a mass recall due to overheating concerns.

Specifically, the recall targets models with date codes ending in 21 and 22, as well as four models with codes ending in 0123, 0923, 1523, and 1723. If you have one of these ticking time bombs in your possession, it's recommended to contact myCharge immediately for a free replacement. Surely, nobody wants an accidental campfire in their handbag or backpack.

Retailing at around $40, these chargers have unfortunately done more than just burn a hole in consumers' pockets. RFA Brands LLC, based in Birmingham, Michigan, imported these gadgets from China, probably not foreseeing that they would also import a small-scale fire risk. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received a whopping 120 reports of these chargers overheating and causing two notable fires.

Though relatively few in number, these fires managed to rack up about $165,000 in property damage, making the potential risk hard to ignore. Costco itself has been flooded with 115 returns featuring complaints of melting, expanding, smoking, burning, exploding, or sparking chargers. Evidently, there was a thermodynamic flair that users hadn't signed up for.

On the slightly brighter side, at least there have been no reported injuries resulting from these overheated chargers. So, while you might need some new curtains or a fresh coat of paint on the ceiling, you'll still have all your fingers to tackle those home improvement tasks.

Acknowledging the severe inconvenience, myCharge advises that consumers shouldn't chuck the faulty chargers directly into the trash. Instead, they should responsibly follow local and state rules for disposing of defective lithium batteries, lest we want a rash of garbage truck fires as a new urban problem.

If you're one of the unlucky customers who installed one of these hot commodities, reaching out to myCharge for a replacement is the safest option. It might not fully charge your faith in portable electronics, but at least it won't accidentally double as a heat lamp.