A massive fire, allegedly set by a disgruntled employee citing wage disputes, obliterated a 1.2-million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ: KMB) distribution center in Ontario, California, early Tuesday morning. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim, reportedly stated, ‘All you had to do was pay us enough to live,’ in a video linked to the arson incident.
Abdulkarim, employed by NFI Industries, a third-party distributor for Kimberly-Clark, was arrested and charged with multiple felony arson counts. He is being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center. Investigators noted the fire’s suspicious nature from the outset, citing rapid spread and potential multiple points of origin across the structure filled with highly combustible paper products like Kleenex and Huggies diapers.
The blaze, which broke out around 12:30 a.m. near Hellman and Merrill avenues, escalated to a six-alarm fire, forcing over 175 firefighters from more than a dozen agencies to adopt a defensive strategy after the roof collapsed. Despite an active sprinkler system, the flames grew exponentially, destroying the facility and several big-rig trucks docked at the site.
Crews managed to contain the fire by 7:46 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 8 hours after it began, though smoke and ash continued to impact air quality, prompting warnings for children and seniors to stay indoors. Firefighters remained on scene into the evening, using thermal imaging drones to monitor hotspots.
No injuries were reported among the 20 employees evacuated during the incident, though the human toll is evident. Workers, now out of jobs due to the total loss of the facility, expressed devastation over the impact on their livelihoods.
Kimberly-Clark confirmed the destruction of the distribution center, emphasizing that safety remains their top priority. The company is collaborating with local authorities and their third-party partner to address the aftermath.
Investigators have yet to determine a definitive motive, though community tips and social media activity pointed them to Abdulkarim. The exact method used to ignite the fire remains under review. The incident has already disrupted local operations, with the loss of inventory and infrastructure posing immediate challenges to the supply chain for household paper goods in the region.
Fire officials expect to finalize mop-up operations in the coming days, with the total damage still being assessed as of April 8.
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