Fire at Yankee Candle building put out

WHATELY, Mass. (WWLP) - Firefighters in Franklin County have put out a small fire at the Yankee Candle factory in Whately.

Karen Woods, Director of Public Relations for Yankee Candle, told 22News that around 7:30 A.M., a worker doing a routine safety inspection noticed smoldering in a room on the north side of the building that houses the factory's air conditioning unit.

Employees were immediately evacuated, and the fire department was called.

No injuries were reported, and workers have since been allowed back inside.

"The important thing is that safety is our number one priority, and all of the systems in place for safety were acted on appropriately, and all of our employees were evacuated safe," Woods said.

The factory building, which employs a total of about 800 people, is the main production facility for the international candle company. The fire did not impact Yankee Candle's famous Flagship Store, which is located on Routes 5 and 10 in South Deerfield.

Woods said that it appears the source of the smoldering was some recently-installed insulation. She says that the company is still investigating.