No Injuries at Arson Set K-C Warehouse Fire

Contributed by BSM Staff

DALLAS -- Kimberly-Clark has activated a response team to manage the situation and minimize the impact of a fire at a distribution center in Ontario, California leased by the company.

The warehouse is operated by a third-party logistics partner, NFI Industries, and Kimberly-Clark has confirmed there were no reported injuries, and that all employees of the facility operator were safely evacuated.

The fire in the 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse destroyed the contents and caused the roof to collapse, according to the Ontario Fire Department.

A man suspected of setting the massive Ontario warehouse fire on Tuesday filmed himself repeatedly saying, “All you had to do was pay us enough to live,” as he set paper products ablaze in the distribution center, police said.

The video shows merchandise, wrapped in plastic and stacked on pallets, being consumed by flames.

The video, posted to Instagram, appears to have been filmed by 29-year-old Chamel A. Abdulkarim of Highland, said the Ontario Police Department.

Kimberly-Clark extends its gratitude to local authorities and firefighters who responded to the incident.

At this time, the company has confirmed the following:

  • The building is leased by Kimberly-Clark and operated by NFI Industries.
  • Kimberly-Clark has business interruption and property damage insurance policies in place.
  • No Kimberly-Clark manufacturing assets were impacted.
  • There were no Kimberly-Clark employees onsite at the time of the fire.
  • The company will provide further updates as appropriate with its next quarterly business update, currently scheduled for April 28th.

Kimberly-Clark's supply chain network is designed for continuity during disruptions and mitigating actions are already in motion. The company has activated its coordinated response plans and is working closely with local logistics providers to maintain continuity for customers.

Teams have identified alternative locations for inbound shipments and are securing additional warehousing capacity through local partners. The company is working through mitigating any short-term disruptions as these plans are executed.

Questions regarding the cause of the incident should be directed to the Ontario Police Department, but Kimberly-Clark can confirm that the individual apprehended by authorities is not a Kimberly-Clark employee.

For more information, go to www.kimberly-clark.com.