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Why did Chamel Abdulkarim set fire to Ontario warehouse? Terrifying video shows the moment blaze started
A Kimberly-Clark employee has been arrested after a massive warehouse fire in Ontario.
A Kimberly-Clark warehouse employee has been arrested on arson charges after he allegedly set fire to the company’s large distribution center in Ontario early Tuesday morning. A disturbing video that is believed to show him starting the fire has also appeared online.
Chamel Abdulkarim who is 29 and from Highland was arrested on two felony arson charges. He is accused of setting fire to the nearly 1.2 million square foot warehouse near South Hellman Avenue and Merrill Avenue at around 12:30am
The facility serves around 50 million people and stores products like facial tissue and toilet paper. It belongs to Kimberly-Clark, the company behind brands like Huggies and Kleenex. The fire caused heavy damage, including part of the roof collapsing. The warehouse is valued at around $156 million, according to Zillow.
About 20 employees were inside the building when the fire started. Kimberly-Clark said in a statement to Bloomberg that there were no injuries. Abdulkarim was first reported missing but was later found not far from the warehouse while the fire was still burning. He is now being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Why did he set the fire and what the video shows
Abdulkarim appeared to be deeply angry about his wages and working conditions at the Kimberly-Clark warehouse.
A video shared on an Instagram account with Chamel Abdulkarim’s name appears to show him walking through the warehouse and setting items on fire, while making angry comments about his employer, according to the New York Post.
The video shows packs of toilet paper catching fire and quickly burning with the large warehouse filled with stacks of paper products visible in the background.
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In the clip, a voice repeatedly says: "All you had to do was pay us enough to live." As the fire grows, the person filming also says: "You may not pay us enough to f***ing live, but these b***es dirt cheap," while holding a lighter. He then adds, "There goes your inventory."
At one point, a voice can be heard on a walkie-talkie saying, "we've got a fire in the warehouse" as the person continues moving and lighting more items on fire.
The video was reportedly shared again by another warehouse employee who received it from someone at the site. The original Instagram account has now been suspended. Police said they are aware of the video and are looking into it and sources told the New York Post that investigators believe the footage appears to be real. However, no official details has been announced yet.
The scale of the fire and its impact
The fire was very large and powerful. It was a six-alarm fire, so fire teams from nearby areas, including the San Bernardino County Fire Department had to help. More than 140 firefighters worked to control the fire throughout the day.
Ontario Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wedell said at a press conference: "This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature. There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested."
The fire could have a big impact on Kimberly-Clark’s business. According to analyst Diana Gomes, the fire may lead to supply shortages on the West Coast affecting more than 3 percent of the company’s US sales. It could also increase transportation costs.
Kimberly-Clark’s shares also dropped by 4.1 percent on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
