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by WILL FOLKS
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A Fairfield County, South Carolina farmer is leading a class action lawsuit against multiple defendants after a fire at a mattress factory allegedly resulted in charred debris falling “like snow” from the sky and damaging her crops.
The lawsuit was filed in the Fairfield County court of common pleas on Friday (August 21, 2026) by local farmer Amy Bates and “others similarly situated.” As defendants, it named Healthcare SC LLC – a company doing business as MLily USA – and its two alleged corporate parents, Tennessee-based Healthcare US Co., Ltd. and Healthcare Co. Ltd., which according to the lawsuit is “believed to be a foreign corporation based in China.”
The class action (.pdf) originated from a fire that broke out shortly before 10:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday, August 16, 2026 at MLily’s 650,000-square foot mattress manufacturing facility located on Highway 321 approximately 3.5 miles south of Winnsboro, S.C.
The fire was originally believed to have been contained, but it subsequently “reignited and spread… destroy(ing) the entire facility,” according to the lawsuit.
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The fire “consumed substantial quantities of petroleum-derived, combustible foam-manufacturing materials and finished foam products, producing thick plumes of black smoke, charred debris, ash, and fine particulate matter that were carried by wind and weather for miles beyond the facility’s boundaries and into the surrounding community,” per the pleading.
This “charred foam debris and fine particulate matter from the fire at the facility began falling like snow onto Bates’ property,” the lawsuit alleged, “including onto her land, her crops and into the creek bordering her property.”
Bates’ farm is located approximately eight miles east of the facility, and provides food to popular Columbia, S.C. dining establishments including The War Mouth, Terra, Bourbon, Motor Supply Company, Lula Drake, Spotted Salamander and di Vino Rosso.
“It is unknown whether, or when, Bates will be able to resume selling crops grown on her property,” the pleading contended.
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Bates has also allegedly had to remove “several garbage bags of large, charred foam from her crops and land,” and is still dealing with falling “particulate matter,” per the complaint.
Bates and other members of the class action lawsuit are accusing the defendants of trespassing, nuisance, negligence and recklessness – and are seeking certification as a class, compensatory and consequential damages, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and “such other and further relief as the court deems just and proper.”
While we will obviously await the defendants’ response, Fairfield County certainly believes the fallout from the fire is no threat to surrounding areas.
On Friday afternoon – less than an hour after the lawsuit was filed – county officials posted an update on the situation that specifically addressed falling debris.
“If a piece of debris has fallen in your area, it is not harmful,” the update noted. “We ask that you use gloves and dispose of it like any other trash. If you don’t have gloves, it is safe to handle by hand; just wash your hands after.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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