Overview
- The six-alarm blaze at the Ontario distribution center early Tuesday collapsed the roof of the 1.2 million-square-foot building and destroyed its contents.
- Ontario police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim, an employee of third-party operator NFI Industries, and are holding him without bail on multiple arson-related charges.
- About 20 workers evacuated without injury as more than 150 firefighters from several agencies switched to a defensive attack after interior crews were overrun.
- Paper products such as Kleenex tissues and toilet paper fed the fire’s rapid spread, and the operating sprinkler system failed after part of the roof collapsed.
- Kimberly-Clark says the third-party-run site is a total loss, and market analysts warn the shutdown could disrupt West Coast supply and push up transport costs.