Bath & Body Works faces lawsuit as woman suffers horrific burns after candle explodes in her face
Renita Francois filed a lawsuit against Bath & Body Works and Premier Candle Corp after a candle she bought exploded in her face, causing severe burns
Former City Hall official Renita Francois's life completely changed after a Bath & Body Works candle exploded in her face. The incident unfolded on January 19, 2023, in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York Post reported.
Francois lit a three-wick “Sweater Weather” candle from Bath & Body Works. When she leaned in to smell it, the candle suddenly exploded. The blast left her with severe burns on her face and arms.
She said she felt a “shockwave of fire and debris directly into her face.” The explosion left her skin “sizzling,” burned off her eyebrows, melted her eyelashes, and left her with serious scars. Francois described the pain as “instant, unrelenting, and beyond anything she had ever experienced.”
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McEvans ‘witnessed his wife’s face catch fire’
Her husband, McEvans, saw what happened. He “witnessed his wife’s face catch fire, crackle, and blister as molten wax burned her skin,” the couple explained in their lawsuit.
Renita Francois suffered second-degree burns
Francois, mother of two, was taken to the emergency room after suffering second-degree burns. She said that the burns have left her with scars and have “fractured” her confidence.
Francois faced “an emotional and psychological battle, an assault on her self-perception, and a daily reminder of a tragedy that could have been prevented,” the lawsuit added.
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Lawsuit filed by Renita Francois
In her lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, Francois names both Bath & Body Works and the manufacturer, Premier Candle Corp. She says the $17 candle was made in Canada “with substandard materials, improper safety measures, and inadequate testing, creating an unreasonable risk of explosion.” She also claims chemical additives made the wax “highly flammable.”
Francois added that the company knew candles could be dangerous since 2016, referencing a recall for “documented cases of candle explosions, glass shattering, and injuries caused by molten wax and fire hazards.”
Impact on career and life
Before the incident, Francois worked as executive director for the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety and spoke often at public events. Now, she says she “dreads stepping in front of a room.” She shared, “Before the explosion, Renita was bold, fearless, and effortless in commanding an audience. Today, she walks into public meetings, panel discussions, and leadership summits knowing that her scars speak before she does.”
'Lawsuit is not just about compensation'
Francois is asking for damages but says the case is about more than money. “This lawsuit is not just about compensation—it is about accountability. It is about ensuring that corporations that prioritize profit over consumer safety do not escape responsibility for the harm they cause,” she said in her lawsuit.
