Maddie James
On Friday, December 10, 2021, a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, was destroyed by a tornado, killing eight people and leaving eight more missing. The Mayfield Consumer Products factory was flattened, trapping dozens of workers, and has since become symbolic of the devastation caused by the tornado. The tragedy has brought to light several issues, including worker safety, low wages, and the use of inmate labor. State investigators will probe the incident, including allegations that workers were threatened with termination if they left their shifts early.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Mayfield, Kentucky |
| Factory Name | Mayfield Consumer Products |
| Year | 2021 |
| Number of Employees | 110 |
| Number of Deaths | 8 |
| Number of Missing | 8 |
| Number of Survivors | 90+ |
| Initial Death Toll Estimate | 40 |
| Final Death Toll | 74 |
| Reason | Tornado |
| Employee Wage | $7.50-12.50 per hour |
| Employee Reaction | Threatened with termination if they left |
| Inmate Labor | Yes |
| Investigation | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
The candle factory was destroyed by a tornado
The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Kentucky was destroyed by a tornado in December 2021. The tornado was part of a "swarm" that tore through six states, causing devastation and killing dozens. The factory was flattened, with rescue crews working to save those who were trapped under the rubble. Eight people died, and eight more were initially reported missing.
The candle factory was one of the largest employers in western Kentucky, with 550 workers. It was founded by local businesswoman Mary Probus in 1998 and grew to sell candles to major US retail chain Bath & Body Works. The factory was an important economic engine in Mayfield, receiving state subsidies to remain in an area where many manufacturers had left.
The tornado struck on a Friday night, with around 110 people inside the factory. There were initial fears that the death toll would be much higher, but the remaining 102 workers were eventually accounted for. The factory workers had taken shelter in bathrooms and hallways when they first heard the tornado warning sirens.
There has been scrutiny and criticism of the company's actions in the lead-up to the tornado. Some workers claimed they were threatened with firing if they left their shifts early, despite the severe weather. There was reportedly a three to four-hour lull between the first alarm and the tornado's arrival, during which employees believe they should have been sent home. However, a company spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that employees could leave whenever they wanted and that there was a policy in place to allow this.
The state of Kentucky has launched an investigation into the incident, seeking to determine whether employees were told not to leave and if there was any wrongdoing. Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, offering support and prayers to those impacted by the tragedy.
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Eight people died
The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, was destroyed by a tornado in December 2011. Eight people died in the tragedy, and the factory is now symbolic of the devastation caused by the tornado.
The factory was flattened, and the remains showed the extent of the damage, with nothing left to identify the building. The candle factory was one of the largest employers in the county, with 550 workers. It was founded in 1998 by a local businesswoman, Mary Probus, who started making candles in her garage.
The tornado hit on a Friday night, and there were 110 people inside the factory at the time. The death toll was initially feared to be much higher, but the remaining 102 workers were accounted for. Eight people were confirmed dead, and eight remained missing. The victims included both employees and a deputy jailer overseeing workers from the Graves County Jail.
The tragedy brought to light allegations that workers who asked to leave before the tornado hit were threatened with firing. Multiple employees reported that they were told they would lose their jobs if they left. Managers took roll calls to ensure no one left without permission. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that state investigators would probe these claims, emphasising the need to get to the bottom of what happened.
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Workers were threatened with firing if they left
In December 2021, a series of tornadoes tore through Kentucky and surrounding states, killing 74 people in Kentucky alone. One of the buildings destroyed by the tornadoes was the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky. Eight people died in the factory, which was flattened, leaving only rubble.
In the wake of the tragedy, some workers and their families have questioned why the factory was operational that night, and why workers were not sent home in the hours between the first alarm sounding and the arrival of the tornado. Multiple employees of the Mayfield Consumer Products factory told reporters that they took shelter in bathrooms and hallways when they first heard tornado warning sirens. Some workers also said that they had begged managers to be allowed to leave as the tornado approached but were told they would lose their jobs if they left their shifts early.
One employee, Elijah Johnson, said:
> "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?”
Another employee, Latavia Halliburton, said she 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.
A third employee, Haley Conder, said about 15 people asked to go home and were initially told that they should not leave because it was unsafe, but then were told to go back to work. She quoted managers as saying:
> "You can’t leave, you can’t leave, you have to stay here... The situation was bad. Everyone was uncomfortable."
However, Bob Ferguson, a spokesman for Mayfield Consumer Products, denied the claims, saying:
> "It’s absolutely untrue... We’ve had a policy in place since Covid began. Employees can leave any time they want to leave and they can come back the next day."
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that state investigators would probe the Mayfield candle factory, adding:
> "Everyone is expected to live up to certain standards of both the law, of safety and of being decent human beings... I hope everybody lived up to those standards."
Beshear also said that the Kentucky Division of Occupational Safety and Health Compliance would undertake a months-long review of the deaths at the factory, adding:
> So it shouldn’t suggest that there was any wrongdoing. But what it should give people confidence in is that we’ll get to the bottom of what happened."
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Inmates from the county jail were working at the factory
On the night of the hurricane, seven inmates from Graves County Jail were working at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory as part of a labor agreement with the local government. The prisoners escaped the factory after it was hit by a tornado, and the deputy jailer who was overseeing them was killed.
The use of inmate labor in the factory has been a point of concern for some, especially in light of allegations that workers who asked to leave before the tornadoes hit were threatened with firing. There are also questions about the training and cellphone policies of the factory, which paid close to minimum wage.
The candle factory was one of the largest employers in western Kentucky, with 550 workers at the time of the storm. It was founded in 1998 by a local businesswoman named Mary Probus, who started the company in her garage. Over the years, the factory grew to sell candles to major US retail chain Bath & Body Works.
The tornado that hit the factory was part of a larger storm system that caused devastation across Kentucky and several surrounding states, killing dozens of people. The factory was one of many buildings destroyed, and eight people died in the factory alone, with eight more still missing. The remains of the building were flattened, with nothing to identify what it once was.
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The factory was one of the town's largest employers
The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory was one of the largest employers in western Kentucky, with 550 workers at the time of the tornado. The factory was located outside of downtown Mayfield, a working-class city of 10,000 in rural western Kentucky. The company was founded in 1998 by a local businesswoman named Mary Probus, who started making candles in her garage. Over the years, the factory grew to sell candles to major US retail chains, becoming an important economic engine in Mayfield and receiving state subsidies to stay in the region.
The factory was a lifeline for its workers, many of whom were Hispanic immigrants. They earned wages of around $8 an hour, close to minimum wage, and some worked overtime to make ends meet. For some, the job was a stepping stone to something better, while others preferred it to the nearby chicken factory or farms, where the work was more strenuous.
The tornado that hit the factory on a Friday night in December 2021 killed eight people and left eight more missing. It was part of a swarm of tornadoes that swept across six states, causing devastation and killing dozens. The factory's managers have come under scrutiny for keeping the factory operational that night, given the abundant warnings of possible tornadoes in the area. There are also allegations that workers who asked to leave before the tornadoes hit were threatened with firing, which has prompted a state investigation.
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Frequently asked questions
The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory in Kentucky was destroyed by a tornado in December 2021. The tornado ripped through Mayfield, reducing the factory to rubble and causing several deaths and injuries.
Yes, there were survivors. About 110 people were in the factory when the tornado hit, and 40 were rescued as of Saturday afternoon. Some workers were trapped under rubble, while others managed to evacuate to safety.
Yes, lawyers threatened to file the first lawsuit against Mayfield Consumer Products LLC, the owner of the candle factory. They represented several candle factory workers who claimed they were threatened with termination if they left their shifts early despite the tornado warnings. The company pledged to conduct its own review of the incident and provide each employee with $1,000 for immediate financial needs.
