375,000 Flammable Scarves Recalled

Announcing the largest clothing recall in history, federal officials said Wednesday that they have directed retailers across the country to halt sales of highly flammable rayon scarves made in India.

Ann Brown, who chairs the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, cautioned that the 375,000 chiffon scarves subject to the recall are “extremely dangerous and typically burn faster than newspaper.”

Most of the scarves are being sold under the brand name of Fashionique II. The flowing scarves, part of the 1995 spring line, are made of either 100% rayon or a mix of 65% rayon and 35% metallic threads woven into the fabric. Other suspect brands include “ATG” All That Glitters, Hasting & Smith, April Cornell for Cornell Trading, Casual Corner, Berkshire, Peppermint Bay, Sterling Styles, Putumayo and Willis Hill for Accessories Int’l.

Brown said the retail industry is cooperating fully with the recall. The scarves, which range in price from $2 to $28 each, have been stocked by more than 2,000 outlets in the United States, including chains such as Mervyn’s and many small boutiques.

There have been no reports of death or injury associated with the scarves, Brown said, although several civil lawsuits are pending over the sale of the items.

The commission action follows last year’s recall of 250,000 Indian-made chiffon skirts, which were found to burn within seconds. The discovery of the flammable skirts prompted the agency to begin “aggressively” testing imported clothing from many countries. Brown said that some of the same importers involved with the skirts are responsible for marketing the suspect scarves.

Any further sale of the scarves will be considered a violation of the 1953 Flammable Fabrics Act, subjecting retailers and manufacturers to possible civil and criminal charges, Brown said. No criminal charges have been filed to date and the maximum civil fine for a violation of the recall is $1.5 million.

Brown said the scarves will be engulfed in flames within 3.5 seconds of being exposed to fire. She urged consumers who suspect that they have purchased one of the scarves to return it for a refund, credit or acceptable replacement.

Mervyn’s already has pulled about 1,800 Fashionique II scarves found in its stores after being advised of the problem last Friday, said Carol Johnson, the company’s public relations manager. The chain does not carry any of the other recalled brand names, she said.

A representative of California-based Ross clothing stores said the company is in the process of checking its inventory to determine if it has stocked any of the suspect scarves.

“We are fully cooperating with the directive,” said Ross spokeswoman Katie Loughnot. “We have none of the Fashionique II scarves, but are currently checking for any of the additional brand names.”

Loughnot said that the chain, which operates 130 stores in California, will honor any customer returns.

Besides Mervyn’s and Ross, the largest number of scarves have been stocked by the following retailers: Bon-Worth, Burlington Coat Factory, Caldor, Cato, Hit or Miss, T.J. Maxx, Simply 6/Simply Fashions and Venture Stores, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Scarves without brand names can be identified by the following product identification numbers: RN13962, RN36791, RN52466, RN62500, RN63408, RN71290 and RN79756. Consumers can call the commission’s toll-free hot line, (800) 638-2772, for additional information.