Jessie Taylor
On Friday, December 10, 2021, a tornado hit the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, killing at least eight people and injuring many others. The factory was left in ruins, with only a huge mound of debris remaining. The death toll is unclear, with some sources reporting eight deaths, while others reporting nine. The tragedy has raised questions about the labor practices of the factory and the decision to keep it open despite the impending tornado. Several employees have retained attorneys and plan to file lawsuits against the company.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of people who died in the candle factory tornado | 8-9 |
| Number of people inside the factory | 110 |
| Number of people initially rescued | 40 |
| Number of survivors | 102 |
| Number of deaths in Kentucky | 74 |
| Number of children among the Kentucky deaths | 6 |
| Number of states with deaths | 5 |
| Total number of deaths across the 5 states | 100+ |
| Names of the deceased in the factory | Devin Burton, Ivan Lopez, Janine Johnson Williams, Jeff Creason, Lannis “Joe” Ward, Elijah Blaze Lewis, Jennifer Sanchez-Flores |
| Age of the deceased in the factory | 21-57 |
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What You'll Learn
At least eight people died, with several others injured
A tornado ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky, on Friday night, killing at least eight people at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory and injuring several others. The factory was left in ruins, with huge swathes of the area destroyed. The death toll is highest in Kentucky, where 74 people, including six children, died.
The Graves County Coroner released the names of those killed inside the Mayfield Consumer Products plant. All total, 110 people were inside the building at 112 Industrial Drive, sheltering in a hallway and bathrooms just minutes before the massive twister struck. The only noise that could be heard was the screams of those trapped inside.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called it miraculous that more people weren't found dead in the wreckage, which he described as nothing he'd ever seen before. "It's heavy machinery... it's the building that's flattened. It's cars from the parking lot that is on top of it," Beshear said during a press conference. "It's huge metal drums, even ones with corrosive chemicals that were inside."
The labor practices of the Mayfield factory have come under scrutiny after the tornado deaths. Employees have said managers threatened them with firing if they left their shift early. Several injured employees have retained attorneys with the intent to file a lawsuit against the company. Gov. Beshear said the Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance would be conducting a month-long review of the deaths, which is standard protocol for any situation involving workplace fatalities.
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Employees were threatened with firing if they left
A tornado tore through Kentucky on Friday, December 10, 2021, killing at least 74 people across the state and causing widespread destruction. One of the buildings destroyed by the tornado was the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, which was left in rubble. At least eight or nine people died in the factory, though the exact number is unclear as of December 24, 2021.
In the hours before the tornado hit, employees of the candle factory heard warning sirens and wanted to leave the building to take shelter at their homes. However, several workers claimed they were threatened with firing if they left their shifts early. At least five workers reported that supervisors and team leaders told them that leaving would likely result in their termination.
One employee, Latavia Halliburton, witnessed workers being threatened with termination if they left. She said, "Some people asked if they could leave, but managers told them they would be fired if they did." Similarly, Mark Saxton, a forklift operator, said that he would have preferred to leave but was not given the option.
Elijah Johnson, a 20-year-old worker, shared his experience: "I asked to leave and they told me I'd be fired. Even with the weather like this, you're still going to fire me?' 'Yes,' a manager responded." Johnson also stated that managers took a roll call to identify who had left without permission.
Company officials and representatives denied the allegations, stating that they had followed emergency protocols from relevant agencies. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance would conduct a review of the factory deaths.
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The factory had been fined for safety violations in the past
A tornado tore through the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, killing at least eight people and injuring many others. The factory had a poor reputation around town, and employees have since filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging that they were threatened with termination if they left before the tornado struck.
The company has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Still, a group of workers, including Elijah Johnson, alleged in a filing with the National Labor Relations Board that the company retaliated against them for participating in an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation. The OSHA probe led to $40,000 in fines for seven violations, and the company was cited for several OSHA violations after the tornadoes.
Mayfield Consumer Products had also been fined for safety violations in the past. In 2019, federal regulators found 12 violations and fined the company more than $16,000. Six of those violations were listed as "serious," including defects in electrical protective equipment, issues with handling equipment, and problems with exit routes. The building also lacked a basement, which could have been crucial during the tornadoes.
The Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance conducted a month-long review of the deaths at the facility, which is standard protocol for any situation involving workplace fatalities. The labor practices of the factory came under scrutiny after the tornado, with some questioning why so many employees were there as bad weather descended. The factory hired incarcerated workers from at least two county jails as part of a special employment program, and seven inmates were working the night of the storm.
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The death toll may have been higher without the rescue efforts
On a fateful night in December 2021, a tornado ripped through the city of Mayfield in Kentucky, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory, with 110 people inside, bore the brunt of the storm's fury. The building was flattened, leaving behind a pile of twisted rubble and raising questions about the company's labour practices and safety measures.
While the initial death toll at the candle factory was reported as eight, with some sources stating nine confirmed deaths, the number of fatalities remained unclear in the storm's aftermath. Rescue efforts were immediate and crucial in saving lives, with first responders rescuing 40 workers as of early Saturday, following the Friday night tornado. The death toll across five states surpassed 100, with Kentucky being the hardest hit, reporting 74 deaths, including six children.
Governor Andy Beshear expressed both relief and dismay at the candle factory, stating it was miraculous more people weren't found dead amid the devastation. He described the scene as nothing he had ever seen before, with flattened buildings, mangled machinery, and cars from the parking lot piled on top. The factory's complete destruction left a huge mound of debris that search and rescue teams diligently combed through.
The swift and courageous efforts of the rescue teams undoubtedly played a pivotal role in saving lives and preventing the death toll from rising even higher. Their tireless work amidst challenging conditions helped locate and rescue those trapped in the rubble, mitigating the potential for further loss of life. The initial rescue efforts, coupled with the ongoing search and rescue operations, were instrumental in reducing the number of fatalities at the candle factory and across the impacted regions.
In the aftermath of the tornado, the labour practices and safety measures of the candle factory came under intense scrutiny. Employees revealed that they were threatened with firing if they left their shifts early, even as the impending danger of the tornado loomed. Several workers retained attorneys and filed lawsuits against the company, questioning why so many employees were present despite the imminent threat of severe weather. The Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance conducted a month-long review of the fatalities, as per standard protocol.
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The tornado's aftermath left survivors traumatised
A tornado that tore through Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021 left a trail of destruction in its wake. The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory was flattened, with cars from the parking lot ending up on top of the rubble. Eight or nine people lost their lives, and many more were injured. The aftermath of the tornado left survivors traumatised, with many suffering from shell shock.
The tornado's roar was deafening, and the destruction it caused was immense. The factory, a well-known local business, was completely destroyed, leaving a huge mound of debris in its place. The company had employed 245 people as of July 2018 and was looking to hire more employees just hours before the tornado hit. On the night of the tornado, 110 people were inside the factory, sheltering in hallways and bathrooms.
Survivors described hearing the warning sirens and begging managers to let them leave, only to be threatened with firing if they left their shifts early. Some employees even took a roll call to find out who had left work without permission. The labour practices of the factory came under scrutiny after the tornado, with questions raised about why so many employees were there as the storm descended. Several injured employees retained attorneys with the intent to file a lawsuit against the company.
The aftermath of the tornado left survivors traumatised, with many struggling to come to terms with what had happened. One survivor, Rafael Mercada, described how the aftermath was affecting his young son, who was nervous and afraid to sleep. Mercada's story is just one example of how the tornado's aftermath left survivors struggling to cope with the trauma they had experienced.
The tornado's impact extended beyond those directly affected by the factory's collapse. The governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, expressed disbelief that more people weren't found dead in the wreckage. He described it as nothing he had ever seen before, with heavy machinery, flattened buildings, and cars piled on top of each other. The Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance conducted a month-long review of the deaths, as is standard protocol for workplace fatalities.
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Frequently asked questions
Nine people were killed in the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory.
Devin Burton, Ivan Lopez, Janine Johnson Williams, Jeff Creason, Lannis “Joe” Ward, Elijah Blaze Lewis, and three others.
Yes, there were 102 survivors out of the 110 people inside the factory.
The cause of the tornado is unknown, but it destroyed huge swathes of the area and killed many people.
Several employees claimed they were threatened with firing if they left their shifts early during the tornado. There were also no basements in the factory building.
