Kimberly-Clark Warehouse Fire Ontario
The Ontario Fire Department responded to a six-alarm fire at the Kimberly-Clark warehouse, a $156 million facility serving 50 million people. Photo: Screenshot San Bernardino County Fire/X @SBCOUNTYFIRE

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, 7 April, a massive six-alarm fire broke out at the 1.2 million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark warehouse for paper products in Ontario, California. The suspect from Highland, California, was identified as an employee and was arrested the same day on two felony arson charges.

The suspect filmed himself setting the Kimberly-Clark warehouse on fire and posted the footage on social media, alleging that they are not being paid 'enough to live'. The video has since gone viral.

Kimberly-Clark Warehouse Fire

At around 12:20 AM, the Ontario Fire Department responded to a six-alarm blaze in the Kimberly-Clark warehouse where paper products are stored. The responders reportedly battled the blaze for nearly 12 hours before it was fully contained at 7:45 AM. Other fire agencies also assisted in the fire efforts. A total of 175 firefighters and 15 truck companies responded.

According to The Post, firefighters went inside to put out the fire, but had to pull back and battled it outside as the fire quickly spread due to the paper products. About 20 employees were inside the warehouse when the fire broke out, including the suspect, but no injuries were reported.

Photos captured and posted by a netizen during the Kimberly-Clark warehouse blaze.

Kimberly-Clark Warehouse Arsonist Arrested

Ontario Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wedell said, 'This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature.' He added, 'There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.'

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, has been arrested on two felony arson charges for setting the warehouse on fire and was apprehended near the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Limonite Avenue in Eastvale, near Ontario. Abdulkarim is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. It's unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Arsonist Filmed Himself Setting the Warehouse on Fire

The 29-year-old suspect and NFI Industries employee filmed and posted his crime on social media, and it has since circulated online – eventually going viral.

In the video, Abdulkarim is seen setting the tissue paper packages in the warehouse on fire. A voice in the clip is heard repeatedly saying, 'All you had to do was pay us enough to live.'

'You may not pay us enough to f*cking live, but these b*tches dirt cheap,' he said as he continued to film the situation while holding a lighter. He then adds, 'There goes your inventory.'

The video also captured a voice from a walkie-talkie saying, 'We've got a fire in the warehouse,' as the suspect continues moving and setting more items on fire.

Kimberly-Clark's Statement

Kimberly-Clark is a hygiene company that owns brands like Huggies and Kleenex, and the burnt warehouse is worth around £117 million ($156 million). USA Today reported that the warehouse serves the needs of roughly 50 million people.

In a statement, the company said that the warehouse is 'operated by a third-party logistics partner, NFI Industries.' They added, 'Kimberly-Clark's supply chain network is designed for continuity during disruptions and mitigating actions are already in motion. The company has activated its coordinated response plans and is working closely with local logistics providers to maintain continuity for customers.'

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