Worker Arrested After Ontario Warehouse Fire Allegedly Shown in Self-Posted Video

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:50:00 +0200

Authorities in Ontario, California, have arrested 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim of Highland in connection with a massive fire that destroyed a 1.2-million-square-foot Kimberly-Clark paper products warehouse. Videos posted on social media appeared to show Abdulkarim setting fire to paper rolls and stacks of products inside the facility while expressing frustration about low wages. The videos, reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, capture him lighting materials ablaze as fire alarms sound and employees are evacuated. In one clip, the suspect complains that workers aren’t paid enough to survive, saying they should at least be paid enough 'not to do this.' The fire quickly spread, forcing firefighters to retreat due to intense flames and causing the building’s roof to collapse. Roughly 175 firefighters responded, and about 20 employees were evacuated safely. Abdulkarim was employed by NFI Industries, a third-party logistics provider for Kimberly-Clark. Ontario Police are investigating the vid