Churches were reduced to rubble. The courthouse was wiped out. A building where the utility company parked its trucks had seemingly vaporised, taking the vehicles with it.

And the candle factory was nothing more than a spread of assorted debris. The only indication of what it once was: the scents of vanilla and lavender, along with aromas that conjured up springtime and fresh laundry – all from the chemicals used in the candles – were picked up by powerful winds.