Mayfield candle factory search and rescue raw video
More than 100 people were inside the factory when a tornado hit.
Matt Stone, Wochit
A Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory that collapsed with workers inside during a fierce tornado Friday evening in Mayfield, Kentucky, will likely lead to the most fatalities of the severe weather event, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
“I think the largest loss of life in this tornado event is and will be there, and it may end up being the largest loss of life in any tornado event in a single location in the state’s history,” Beshear said during a Saturday morning press conference.
“It’s heavy machinery … it’s the building that’s flattened. It’s cars from the parking lot that is on top of it. It’s huge metal drums, even ones with corrosive chemicals that were inside. It’s … pretty awful to witness.”
Here’s what to know about Mayfield Consumer Products and the deadly destruction of its candle factory.
Background: Gov. Andy Beshear says ‘dozens’ dead in Mayfield, Kentucky, candle factory hit by tornado
How many people were inside the Kentucky candle factory when the tornado hit?
Beshear said there were “about 110 people” inside the candle factory, located at 112 Industrial Drive in Mayfield when the tornado hit.
“We believe we’ll lose at least dozens of those individuals,” Beshear said. “It’s very hard. Really tough. And we’re praying for each and every one of those families.”
How many people working at the candle factory have died?
That number is unclear. Of the 110 workers who were believed to be at the factory when the tornado hit, there have been only 40 rescues of workers by first responders, according to Beshear. The last rescue was at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.
“We’re gonna lose a lot of lives at that facility,” Beshear said. “And I pray that there will be another rescue, and pray they’ll be another one or two. But it’s a very dire situation at this point.”
One worker who made it out alive amid the rescue was Kyana Parsons-Perez, a 40-year-old who filmed several videos on Facebook Live as she was trapped under five feet of debris.
“‘I’m at work in Mayfield, and we are trapped,” she said in a video posted to Facebook posted Friday night. “Please give us some help … We are trapped. The wall is stuck on me. Nobody can get to us.”
During an interview on The TODAY Show Saturday morning, Parsons-Perez said “I did not think I was going to make it at all — I was so scared.”
Another worker in the facility Friday night was Chelsea Logue, who said there was a “really big boom and the building lifted up, swayed and crashed down.”
“All you could hear was screams from people,” Logue told a Courier Journal reporter at the site in Mayfield Saturday afternoon as she came back to see if she can salvage anything, as she said she lost her debit cards, Social Security card and IDs in her car.
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“I was trapped under a wall … by the grace of God I got out of there,” Logue said.
What is Mayfield Consumer Products?
Mayfield Consumer Products is a Kentucky-based, family-owned designer and manufacturer of branded candles and home fragrance products.
According to a July 2018 press release, the company was founded in Mayfield in 1998 and employed 245 people at the time.
Hours before the tornado hit the candle factory, the company posted on its Facebook page Friday afternoon that it was looking to hire employees. A recent listing for a full-time candle production position had a starting wage of $8 per hour and required 10- to 12-hour shifts.
“We work 10- to 12-hour shifts Monday thru Thursday,” the listing reads. “The day shift may start anywhere between 4:30 a.m .and 7:00 a.m. depending on the position, and the afternoon shift starts at 5:00 p.m.”
“Mandatory overtime will be required frequently either by extending your shift or working on Friday,” the listing said.
On July 25, 2018, the company announced that it was forging ahead with an $8.3 million in investment adding a new facility and expanding an existing one — a move that would create 52 full-time jobs.
Specifically, of that pot, the factory that collapsed at 112 Industrial Drive Friday evening was set to receive a $2.77 million investment to expand, according to a news release from the time.
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“We are excited about the growth that MCP has been blessed with,” Troy Propes, CEO of Mayfield Consumer Products, said at the time. “It’s a reflection of the dedicated employees that continue to surpass our customer’s expectations.”
To attract the investment, Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved Mayfield for $1 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Business Investment program in April and May of 2018.
“Mayfield Consumer Products has been a great employer and strong corporate citizen for the past 20 years, and we are grateful for the company’s decision to continue expanding here in Kentucky,” then-Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said in the news release.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s website, Mayfield Consumer Products had 12 workplace violations at its 112 Industrial Drive plant issued on Sept. 4, 2019.
Citations ranged from issues with electrical protective equipment and respiratory protection, as well as “control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout),” “selection and use of work practices” and “maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes.” The company racked up $16,350 in penalties.
Were Graves County Jail inmates working at the candle factory?
According to Parsons-Perez, inmates from the Graves County Jail were working at the Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory when the building collapsed.
“They had some prisoners working there from the Graves County Jail,” she told The TODAY Show.
“And when I tell you some of those prisoners were working their tails off to get us out … They could of used that moment to try to run away or anything. They did not. They were there (and) they were helping us.”
The Graves County Jail said in a Facebook post Saturday morning that it “completely evacuated the main jail” and moved inmates to other county jails, “however we did have a few inmates working at the candle factory” and one unidentified jail staff member died.
A Graves County Jail spokesperson confirmed to WFPL Saturday evening that seven inmates from the jail were working at the candle factory, and they’re all accounted for and alive. Some have life-threatening injuries, according to WFPL, and the jail deputy supervising them died.
However, Kentucky State Police said late Saturday they were searching for one of the seven — 44-year-old Francisco Starks — who they say walked away from a hospital after being released from treatment for tornado-related injuries.
Graves County Jail inmates working at the Mayfield Consumer Products is relatively new. The Paducah Sun reported in July the two groups were finalizing an agreement for 10 state inmates to work at the candle factory and be paid for it, though the jail would not disclose to the newspaper how much the inmates would be paid.
What has Mayfield Consumer Products said about the candle factory collapse?
Mayfield Consumer Products have not responded to a phone call and Facebook message seeking comment.
But Propes, the company CEO, did post a statement online Saturday evening.
“Our Mayfield, Kentucky facility was destroyed December 10, 2021, by a tornado, and tragically employees were killed and injured,” he wrote. “We’re heartbroken about this, and our immediate efforts are to assist those affected by this terrible disaster.
“Our company is family-owned and our employees, some who have worked with us for many years, are cherished,” he continued. “We’re immediately establishing an emergency fund to assist our employees and their families.”
Propes finished: “We’re grateful to the first responders who heroically assisted our employees following the storm. And, we’re thankful for those who are generously offering to assist us. Your prayers are needed and appreciated.”
The “MCP Candles Tornado Victims’ Fund,” can be found at paypal.com/paypalme/MCPTornadoVictimFund.
Where is Mayfield, KY?
Mayfield is on the western edge of Kentucky. It’s 227 miles southwest of Louisville and 134 miles northwest of Nashville. The population of Mayfield, which is in Graves County, Kentucky, is about 9,800.
Contact Ben Tobin at [email protected] and 502-377-5675 or follow on Twitter @Ben__Tobin.
