ONTARIO CALIF, Authorities have taken a 29-year-old warehouse employee into custody in connection with a large six-alarm fire that destroyed a major distribution facility in San Bernardino County early Tuesday morning.
Officials and sources involved in the investigation stated that Chamel Abdulkarim, a resident of Highland, is facing two felony arson charges linked to the fire at a warehouse operated by Kimberly-Clark. He is currently being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Investigators believe Abdulkarim deliberately started the fire around 12:30 a.m. at the nearly 1.2 million-square-foot facility located near South Hellman Avenue and Merrill Avenue.
The flames spread quickly throughout the building, fueled by significant amounts of paper-based products stored inside the warehouse.
Authorities confirmed that about 20 employees were inside the facility when the fire began, including Abdulkarim.
During the initial stages of the incident, Abdulkarim was unaccounted for but was later found.
Court documents reveal that he was eventually arrested near the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Limonite Avenue in Eastvale, close to the scene of the fire.
Ontario Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wedell explained that the fire was quickly classified as suspicious, and investigators identified a person of interest early on.
“This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature,” Wedell said. “There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.”
Sources suggest that Abdulkarim may have been a dissatisfied employee and had shared complaints about his job on social media before the incident.
However, authorities are still working to fully determine the motive and circumstances surrounding the case.
The incident led to a major emergency response, with around 140 firefighters working throughout the day to bring the fire under control.
Due to the scale of the blaze, several agencies assisted in firefighting efforts, including the San Bernardino County Fire Department, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, Chino Fire Department, and Riverside Fire Department.
Officials estimate that the destroyed facility was valued at approximately $156 million. Despite the severity of the fire, no injuries have been reported.
Kimberly-Clark, a global manufacturer of hygiene products known for brands such as Huggies and Kleenex, confirmed that the warehouse was operated by a third-party partner.
In an official statement, a company spokesperson said that safety remains a top priority and confirmed full cooperation with local authorities as the investigation continues.
The Ontario Police Department and Ontario Fire Department are jointly handling the case.
More information is expected to be released following an upcoming official press briefing.
