Trending Now - Disgruntled Worker Charged in California Warehouse Blaze
WHO:
ABC7 Los Angeles - Chamel Abdul-Karim was arrested on suspicion of felony arson.
CBS News - Alejandro Montero, a co-worker, stated he had just met Abdul-Karim moments before the fire broke out.
CBS News - Chamel Abdul-Karim is identified as an employee of NFI Industries, which operates the Ontario warehouse site as a distribution center for Kimberly-Clark.
CBS News - A co-worker, Alejandro Montero, stated he had talked with Abdul-Karim 15 minutes before the fire erupted.
ABC7 Los Angeles - The suspect is identified as Chamel Abdul-Karim, who was working at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center through a third-party company.
NBC News - A 29-year-old man is accused of starting the fire.
CBS News - The accused is identified as a warehouse employee.
WHAT:
NBC News - The fire destroyed a 1.2 million square foot building at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center.
CBS News - Fire officials reported that more than 24 hours after the fire, it was still smoldering, creating a thick haze of smoke and ash in the area.
CBS News - Fire officials urged children and seniors near the fire to remain indoors due to poor air quality caused by clouds of black smoke.
CBS News - The fire destroyed a 1.2 million square foot building.
ABC7 Los Angeles - Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the building, and no injuries were reported.
CBS News - More than 140 personnel worked to extinguish the blaze, with assistance from multiple fire departments including Riverside City, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino Valley, Corona, Montclair, Colton, Rialto, San Manuel, and Los Angeles fire departments.
CBS News - The fire destroyed a 1.2 million square foot building.
CBS News - More than 140 personnel worked to extinguish the blaze, with assistance from multiple fire departments including Riverside County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County.
ABC7 Los Angeles - Investigators are reviewing a video that appears to show cases of toilet paper being set on fire inside the warehouse.
ABC7 Los Angeles - The fire destroyed the more than one-million-square-foot facility.
NBC News - The fire was allegedly set by the employee.
CBS News - The fire was described as massive.
WHERE:
ABC7 Los Angeles - The fire broke out at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center in Ontario, California.
NBC News - The incident occurred at a warehouse in Southern California.
WHEN:
ABC7 Los Angeles - The fire erupted on April 5th, 2026, shortly after 12:30 a.m.
ABC7 Los Angeles - The fire erupted shortly after 12:30 a.m. on April 5th, 2026.
CBS News - The fire incident took place in 2026.
WHY:
ABC7 Los Angeles - A person in the video states, "There goes your inventory," while recording the fire engulfing a corridor of the warehouse.
CBS News - In a video, a person is heard saying, "All you had to do was pay us enough to live," while igniting pallets of toilet paper.
CBS News - In a video, the suspect is heard saying, "Should have paid us more," while igniting pallets of toilet paper.
ABC7 Los Angeles - A person in the video states, "If you're not going to pay us enough to (expletive) live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this."
NBC News - The employee is described as disgruntled, suggesting dissatisfaction with his job.
HOW:
NBC News - Ontario Fire Department Chief Mike Gerken described the fire behavior as "uncharacteristic," noting the rapid spread of the fire for such a large building.
ABC7 Los Angeles - Fire officials described the fire behavior as uncharacteristic, noting the rapid spread of the fire for such a large building.
CBS News - Fire officials described the fire behavior as uncharacteristic, noting the rapid spread of the fire for such a large building.
ABC7 Los Angeles - Fire officials noted that the rapid spread of the fire was unusual for such a large building, indicating it could possibly be arson in nature.
NBC News - The method of starting the fire has not been detailed in the articles.
(UPDATED April 10, 2026 01:21 UTC)
A massive fire has devastated a 1.2 million square foot building at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center, with officials reporting that more than 24 hours later, the fire is still smoldering and creating a thick haze of smoke and ash in the area. Fire officials have advised children and seniors nearby to stay indoors due to the poor air quality caused by the clouds of black smoke. Ontario Fire Department Chief Mike Gerken described the fire's rapid spread as "uncharacteristic" for a building of this size, highlighting the severity of the situation.
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(UPDATED April 9, 2026 17:20 UTC)
Chamel Abdul-Karim was arrested on suspicion of felony arson following a fire that erupted on Sunday, shortly after 12:30 a.m., destroying a massive 1.2 million square foot building. Firefighters, with support from multiple departments, managed to contain the blaze without any reported injuries, while a co-worker of Abdul-Karim stated he had just met him moments before the fire broke out. In a video linked to the incident, a person can be heard saying, "All you had to do was pay us enough to live," as they ignited pallets of toilet paper, prompting fire officials to describe the fire's rapid spread as uncharacteristic for such a large structure.
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(UPDATED April 9, 2026 15:21 UTC)
A massive fire at a distribution center for Kimberly-Clark in Ontario has destroyed a 1.2 million square foot building, with over 140 personnel from multiple fire departments working to extinguish the blaze. Chamel Abdul-Karim, an employee of NFI Industries, was reportedly in conversation with a co-worker just 15 minutes before the fire broke out, and video footage shows a suspect igniting pallets of toilet paper while stating, "Should have paid us more." Fire officials have described the fire's rapid spread as uncharacteristic for a building of that size.
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(UPDATED April 9, 2026 05:35 UTC)
A fire that erupted shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center in Ontario, California, has destroyed the massive facility, which spans over one million square feet. Investigators are reviewing video footage that appears to show cases of toilet paper being set on fire, and they have identified the suspect as Chamel Abdul-Karim, who was employed at the center through a third-party company. Fire officials have noted that the rapid spread of the blaze was unusual for a building of this size, raising suspicions of possible arson.
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(UPDATED April 9, 2026 03:52 UTC)
A 29-year-old warehouse employee in Southern California is accused of starting a massive fire that occurred in 2026. Reports indicate that the employee may have been disgruntled, hinting at dissatisfaction with his job, although the specific method used to ignite the fire has not been disclosed. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident.