Samsung is Recalling More Than 1 Million Electric Ranges after Numerous Fire Reports

FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
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Samsung is Recalling More Than 1 Million Electric Ranges after Numerous Fire Reports

FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Samsung is recalling more than 1.12 million electric ranges used for stovetops after reports of 250 fires and dozens of injuries.
According to a Thursday notice from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, these slide-in ranges have front-mounted knobs that can be activated by accident if humans or pets unintentionally contact or bump into them. That poses a fire hazard.
To date, Samsung has received more than 300 reports of the knobs activating unintentionally since 2013, the CPSC noted, and the now-recalled ranges have been involved in about 250 fires. At least 18 of those fires caused extensive property damage and seven involved pet deaths, according to the Commission.
In addition, the CPSC added, about 40 injuries have been reported, including eight that required medical attention.
According to The Associated Press, consumers can identify whether their slide-in electric range is included in this recall by looking at the model number printed on the product. Both Samsung and the CPSC have published a list of affected models online.
The recalled ranges were sold between May 2013 and August 2024 online at Samsung.com as well as in retailers nationwide — including Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot and Lowe's.
Consumers in possession of a recalled range are urged to contact New Jersey-based Samsung Electronics America for a free set of knob locks or covers compatible for installation with their model. In the meantime, those impacted should take extra caution to keep children and pets away from the knobs, and check their range before leaving the house or going to bed to make sure it's off, the CPSC said.
As part of general stovetop and oven safety, the Commission added that consumers should “never place, leave, or store anything on the top of your range” when not in use — as such items can ignite if it's accidentally activated.



Sony Posts 10% Profit Rise on Image Sensor Boost

(FILES) In this picture taken on May 9, 2022, the Sony logo is displayed at an entrance of the company's headquarters in Tokyo. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
(FILES) In this picture taken on May 9, 2022, the Sony logo is displayed at an entrance of the company's headquarters in Tokyo. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
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Sony Posts 10% Profit Rise on Image Sensor Boost

(FILES) In this picture taken on May 9, 2022, the Sony logo is displayed at an entrance of the company's headquarters in Tokyo. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
(FILES) In this picture taken on May 9, 2022, the Sony logo is displayed at an entrance of the company's headquarters in Tokyo. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Sony on Wednesday reported a 10% rise in operating profit in the April-June quarter, beating analyst estimates, boosted by its industry-leading image sensor business.
Profit at the Japanese tech and entertainment conglomerate was 279 billion yen ($1.90 billion), compared with an average estimate of 275 billion yen from seven analysts polled by LSEG.
The impact from foreign exchange and higher sales helped profit at the image sensor business, a major supplier for smartphone makers, roughly triple to 36.6 billion yen.
A sprawling group encompassing music, movies, games and chips, Sony hiked its full-year profit forecast by 3% aided by foreign exchange rates.
Financial markets have been whipsawed in recent days following an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan and weak labor data from the US that stoked recession fears.
"We are extremely concerned about the sudden fluctuations in exchange rates and possibility of economic downturn, particularly in the United States," Sony President Hiroki Totoki told an earnings briefing, according to Reuters.
The rise in the yen has left investors reassessing the outlook for Japanese multinationals, as the weak currency had provided a cushion for many heavyweight exporters.
Sony's assumed exchange rate for the year is approximately 145 yen to the dollar. On Wednesday, it was trading around 147, but it had been at 38-year lows near 162 at the start of July.
In the first quarter Sony sold 2.4 million PlayStation 5 (PS5) units, fewer than a year earlier, but booked a larger profit from its games business.
The group said in May it expects to sell 18 million PS5 units this fiscal year, compared to 20.8 million a year earlier.
The games industry is grappling with rising costs and weak pricing power. Sony-owned developer Bungie announced last week it is cutting almost a fifth of its workforce.
Sony's shares closed flat ahead of earnings and are down 8% year-to-date, giving the company a market capitalization of just over $100 billion.