In early 2025, a New York City woman named Renita Francois lit a Bath & Body Works Sweater Weather three-wick candle in her home and, according to a federal lawsuit she later filed in the Southern District of New York, was struck in the face by a sudden eruption of flame. The complaint alleges she suffered burns to her eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial skin. Her husband, McEvans Francois, told lawyers he witnessed what he described as a shockwave of fire from the jar.
Francois’s lawsuit is not the only one. A separate civil complaint, filed under Case ID 25-3725, names Bath & Body Works, LLC and The Premier Candle Corporation, alleging that a candle sold by the retailer exploded and caused serious injuries, according to court reporting by South Shore Press. As of March 2026, neither case has reached a public resolution.
The lawsuits have gained traction partly because of social media. A TikTok video posted by a woman who says she was burned by a freshly lit candle has drawn millions of views. In the clip, she displays blistered, swollen skin and says doctors diagnosed her with second-degree burns. A separate YouTube Short titled “This Candle Turned Into a 7 Foot Fireball” shows another person rushing a violently flaring jar candle to a kitchen sink as flames tower above the rim. Comment sections on both videos are filled with users sharing similar stories and urging the posters to seek legal counsel.
A history of candle flare-up incidents
Reports of candle flare-ups predate the current wave of social media posts. In 2017, home surveillance footage captured Ashley Brawley of Burleson, Texas, leaning over a scented candle to blow it out after it had been burning for roughly three hours and 20 minutes. The Nest camera recording, later aired by ABC7 and other outlets, showed a bright flash shooting from the jar directly into her face. Brawley sustained first- and second-degree burns.
Fire investigators and candle safety researchers point to several factors that can cause a jar candle to flare unexpectedly. When wicks are not trimmed to the manufacturer’s recommended length (typically one-quarter inch), the flame can grow large enough to superheat the liquid wax pool. Fragrance oils, which are blended into scented candle wax at concentrations that vary by brand, have flash points that can be reached if the surface temperature climbs too high. Drafts from vents or open windows can also push a flame sideways, igniting pooled wax vapor along the glass wall. In multi-wick candles, these risks compound: three flames generate more heat in a confined jar than one, and if the wicks are spaced too closely or the wax blend does not dissipate heat efficiently, the temperature inside the vessel can spike.
What the safety standards actually require
In the United States, there is no mandatory federal safety standard specifically for candles. The industry’s primary benchmark is ASTM F2417, a voluntary standard developed by ASTM International that covers fire safety for candles, including flame height limits, secondary ignition resistance, and labeling requirements. Manufacturers who follow it submit products for testing by accredited labs, but compliance is self-reported. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can investigate candle-related injuries and order recalls, but as of March 2026, the agency has not issued a recall of Bath & Body Works three-wick candles.
Bath & Body Works has addressed the allegations publicly. On its corporate site, the company states that “Safety First” is a core principle and that every candle it sells “is tested to meet or exceed industry and government safety standards,” language repeated in its official newsroom statements. The company’s safety guidance instructs customers to trim wicks before each use, burn candles on heat-resistant surfaces, keep them away from drafts and flammable materials, and never burn a candle for more than four hours at a time.
Consumer safety advocates say those instructions, while sound, place the burden of risk management on the buyer. If a candle’s wax formulation or wick configuration can produce a dangerous flare-up even under normal household conditions, the question shifts from user error to product design.
How common are candle injuries?
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 7,400 home fires started by candles per year between 2015 and 2019, resulting in an annual average of 90 deaths, 670 injuries, and $291 million in direct property damage. The CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) tracks emergency room visits tied to candle-related thermal burns, though the data does not break out incidents by brand or candle type.
Those numbers mean candle fires, while not rare, represent a small fraction of overall home fires. But for the people who experience them, the consequences can be severe. Facial burns carry risks of scarring, infection, and psychological trauma that extend well beyond the initial injury.
What consumers should know right now
No recall is in effect for Bath & Body Works three-wick candles as of March 2026, and the pending lawsuits contain allegations that have not been proven in court. Still, fire safety experts offer consistent guidance that applies to any jar candle:
- Trim wicks to one-quarter inch before every lighting. Long or mushroomed wicks produce larger, hotter flames.
- Do not burn for more than four hours continuously. Extended burn times overheat the wax pool and the glass vessel.
- Keep candles away from drafts, including ceiling fans, air vents, and open windows.
- Place candles on stable, heat-resistant surfaces and never leave them unattended.
- Use a snuffer instead of blowing out the flame, which can splatter hot wax or push the flame into pooled wax vapor.
- Stop using a candle when half an inch of wax remains at the bottom. Below that level, the glass can overheat.
Consumers who experience a candle-related injury can file a report with the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov, which feeds into the agency’s incident database and can trigger formal investigations.
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