Warehouse employee accused of arson after Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center full of paper goods destroyed in massive Ontario fire
ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) — A warehouse employee was arrested on suspicion of arson after a massive fire destroyed the building in Ontario, prompting a large response from first responders overnight.
The fire started shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday near Hellman and Merrill avenues, according to the Ontario Fire Department. In total, 175 firefighters and 20 engines were on scene battling the flames, which cast an orange glow in the area.
The firefight continued for several hours as the blaze continued to burn through the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center, which is estimated to be 1.2 million square feet — about the size of 11 city blocks. The flames and smoke were visible for miles.
Nearly twelve hours later, crews were still on scene shooting water at the building from ladder trucks. They were able to contain the flames to the warehouse, protecting nearby businesses.
The warehouse was filled with paper products from familiar brands like Kleenex to Huggies diapers, which further fueled the six-alarm fire.
Officials said the building has a fire suppression system, which was operating but was compromised when a portion of the roof collapsed. Several big rigs docked at the facility were also destroyed.
About 20 employees were inside the warehouse when the fire broke out. One person was initially missing, but was later accounted for. That missing person was the suspect, police said.
“This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature,” said Deputy Chief Mike Wedell. “There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.”
The Ontario Police Department later identified the suspect as 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim from Highland. Authorities initially believed he was a Kimberly-Clark employee, but later clarified that he’s actually an employee of NFI Industries, a third-party distributor for Kimberly-Clark.
Officials said it is not known at this time if Abdulkarim was actively on duty working when the fire began, but he was present at the warehouse.
A motive for the alleged arson has not been determined, though investigators noted that tips from the community, possibly relating to social media posts, helped lead them to Abdulkarim.
He was arrested on multiple felony arson-related charges and is being held without bail. The police department noted that they have not had contact with Abdulkarim in the past, though it’s unknown if he has a criminal record outside of Ontario.
Fire officials say the blaze appeared suspicious almost immediately, pointing to the fire’s rapid spread and the possibility of more than one point of origin.
“Upon making entry, continuing to try to locate the scene of the fire, they quickly realized that there was fire throughout the structure,” Wedell said.
No injuries were reported from the fire. But still, there is a human toll. The employees who operated the warehouse around the clock are now out of a job.
“It is going to affect us all the way around, no matter how we look at it,” said Mark, a warehouse employee.
A thick plume of smoke continued to billow over the area several hours later, prompting a warning for children, seniors and other groups sensitive to poor air quality to stay inside if possible.
For neighbors like Teri Cruz, it was the kind of scene you don’t forget.
“It was more than ‘Wow,’ it was like, ‘Oh my god. We need to run,'” Cruz said. “Yes, because it was just a big blaze of fire.”
By Tuesday afternoon, the firefighting effort was almost over, and the fire was under control. Crews were beginning the mop-up phase.
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