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ONTARIO, Calif. () — A warehouse employee was arrested on suspicion of arson after a massive fire destroyed the building in Ontario, prompting a large response from first responders overnight.
The fire started around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday near Hellman and Merrill avenues, according to the Ontario Fire Department. More than 100 firefighters were on scene battling the flames, which cast an orange glow in the area.
The firefight continued for several hours as the blaze continued to burn through the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center, which is estimated to be 1.2 million square feet — about the size of 11 city blocks. The flames and smoke were visible for miles.
Nearly twelve hours later, crews were still on scene shooting water at the building from ladder trucks. They were able to contain the flames to the warehouse, protecting nearby businesses.
The warehouse was filled with paper products from familiar brands like Kleenex to Huggies diapers, which further fueled the six-alarm fire.
Officials said the building has a fire suppression system, which was operating but was compromised when a portion of the roof collapsed. Several big rigs docked at the facility were also destroyed.
About 20 employees were inside the warehouse when the fire broke out. One person was initially missing, but was later accounted for. That missing person was the suspect, police said.
“This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature,” said Deputy Chief Mike Wedell. “There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.”
The suspect has been identified as a current employee of Kimberly-Clark. A motive for the alleged arson has not been determined, and officials did not immediately release the suspect’s name.
Fire officials say the blaze appeared suspicious almost immediately, pointing to the fire’s rapid spread and the possibility of more than one point of origin.
“Upon making entry, continuing to try to locate the scene of the fire, they quickly realized that there was fire throughout the structure,” Wedell said.
No injuries were reported from the fire. But still, there is a human toll. The employees who operated the warehouse around the clock are now out of a job.
“It is going to affect us all the way around, no matter how we look at it,” said Mark, a warehouse employee.
A thick plume of smoke continued to billow over the area several hours later, prompting a warning for children, seniors and other groups sensitive to poor air quality to stay inside if possible.
For neighbors like Teri Cruz, it was the kind of scene you don’t forget.
“It was more than ‘Wow,’ it was like, ‘Oh my god. We need to run,'” Cruz said. “Yes, because it was just a big blaze of fire.”
By Tuesday afternoon, the firefighting effort was almost over, and crews were beginning the mop-up phase.
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