Banana Boat recalls sunscreen due to fire risk

The maker of Banana Boat sunscreen is recalling some half-million bottles of spray-on lotion after reports that a handful of people have caught on fire after applying the product and coming in contact with an open flame.

Energizer Holdings said Friday that it was pulling 23 varieties of its UltraMist sunscreen, including aerosol products, off store shelves.

There have been five reports of people suffering burns in the past year, four in the United States and one in Canada, a company spokesman said.

The problem appears to be caused by UltraMist's spray valve, which is over-applying the product, Energizer said. As a result the lotion takes longer to dry, raising the flammability risk.

"If a consumer comes into contact with a flame or spark prior to complete drying of the product on the skin, there is a potential for the product to ignite," the company said.

Doctors and burn experts said the problem appears to be extremely rare, and said the flammable ingredients in aerosol -- including alcohol -- are common to many products, including hair spray and spray-on deodorants.

Dan Dillard, executive director of the Burn Prevention Network, said the group was contacted about two burns related to spray-on sunscreen. One involved a man standing near a barbecue grill, the other a woman working with welding equipment. Both cases resulted in second- and third-degree burns.