SARASOTA, Fla. — A Sarasota man is suing popular retail chain Trader Joe’s after he said his candle exploded and burned him.
Erik Jansson, of Manatee County, said he bought the Mango Tangerine-scented candle in April of 2024 and lit it while painting his bathroom.
Jansson said the candle hyper-combusted without warning, causing the candle to move and sending wax onto Jansson’s face.
Jansson said he suffered significant, painful second-degree burns. Pictures attached to his lawsuit showed Jansson with scorched arms, hands and burns on his face.
Additional pictures showed the blackened candle and a burn mark on a countertop.
“Even when used as directed, the Product posed an unreasonable risk of harm to Plaintiff,” his attorney wrote, noting the small warning labels did not mention any risk of explosions.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall for the Mango Tangerine candles in August of 2024, noting the flame could spread from the wick to the wax and cause a larger-than-expected flame.
The commission said Trader Joe’s sold approximately 653,000 units of the candle before the recall.
The lawsuit included comments from Reddit users who said their candles had intense flames and almost caused house fires.
Jansson’s attorney asked the judge for damages exceeding $75,000.
Trader Joe’s did not immediately return a request for comment.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
