A massive fire that broke out early Tuesday morning destroyed a large warehouse facility in Ontario. The city’s fire and police department shared that they have arrested a person suspected of arson for igniting the blaze.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. at Kimberly-Clark’s 1.2 million square foot distribution center on Hellman and Merrill avenues. The company produces items like diapers and Kleenex paper towels.
Mike Weddell with the Ontario Fire Department said at a press conference this morning that firefighters were able to get to the warehouse within minutes of receiving 9-1-1 calls from workers. However, Weddell said the paper products inside the facility acted as fuels and ignited its spread.
“The fire erupted at an extreme, rapid rate,” said Weddell. “We've lost complete integrity of the roof. There has been a collapse that creates a large safety concern for our firefighters. Those walls have lost their structural integrity at this point.”
Weddell said that about 20 employees on site were evacuated and no one was injured by the fire.
The Ontario Police Department also shared they’ve arrested a man who is being interrogated for possibly starting the fire. Corporal Emily Williams shared that the suspect worked at the warehouse and was initially reported missing by coworkers when the fire started.
Both departments said they’re interrogating the suspect.
Officials with the South Coast AQMD said that smoke from the fire has mostly lifted into the upper atmosphere this morning, with some ash reported in nearby areas.
As of 9 a.m., air quality near the fire was in the “Good” range, but conditions could shift as the fire continues to burn. Officials said smoke could drift into nearby communities as the fire smolders, and ash may fall farther east toward Riverside, Jurupa Valley and Eastvale.
This is a developing story
