A massive 6-alarm fire destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California, early Tuesday morning. The fire ignited just after midnight on Tuesday at the Kimberly-Clark Ware. Witnesses described the sound of the building’s collapse as “thunder that wouldn’t stop” Flames and smoke could be seen all throughout the Western Inland Empire and further.
Residents were urged to remain indoors and keep windows closed to avoid breathing in particular matter from the burning materials. Ontario Fire Department’s Deputy Chief Mike Wedell confirmed that one suspect was taken into custody on the possibility of starting the fire and is at the Ontario Police Department awaiting questioning by detectives as of the next day.
Around 7:50 AM on Tuesday, per radio traffic and the @ontariofiredept on instagram the fire was said to be contained. Mutual aid from neighboring agencies responded to assist including Riverside County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, as well as crews from Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Valley, Corona, Montclair, Rialto, Riverside and more.
Authorities arrested Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old employee, after a disturbing video surfaced online. In the clip, a person believed to be Abdulkarim is seen standing amidst towers of paper productions, flicking a lighter while delivering chilling message regard “poverty wages” and “corporate greed”
While the structure is a total loss, Ontario Fire officials confirmed that all 20 employees working the graveyard shift were safely evacuated. The destruction of 156$ million worth of property is expected to cause significant ripples in the regional supply chain.
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Image from SkyFox

