UPDATE 1-Home Depot recalls dehumidifiers after fire reports

* Says China-made appliances pose fire/burn hazards

NEW YORK Dec 17 (Reuters) - Home Depot Inc (HD.N) is recalling about 2,000 dehumidifiers sold through May 2007 from November 2000 after getting reports of the appliances catching fire due to a faulty internal component.

The home improvement chain issued a voluntary recall of the devices -- used to reduce the humidity level in air -- with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday.

An internal component can fail causing the "Hampton Bay" labelled dehumidifiers to overheat, posing fire and burn hazards, the CPSC said.

CPSC urged consumers to immediately stop using the dehumidifiers, which were made in China, and contact Home Depot to receive a gift card for the full amount of the purchase price. They were sold for between $120 and $150.

Home Depot has received 18 reports of the dehumidifiers catching fire. One user reported a burn injury to his forearm. (Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan; editing by Carol Bishopric)