A warehouse employee is facing multiple felony arson charges after allegedly setting a massive fire at a paper distribution center, and recording himself doing it while ranting about his pay.
Authorities say 29-year-old Chamel Abdulkarim, an employee at a facility operated for Kimberly-Clark, was arrested after a six-alarm fire tore through a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Ontario, California, Tuesday morning.
The fire was set at around 12:30 a.m., quickly spreading through the building, which was filled with paper goods like toilet paper and facial tissue. What sets the case apart — beyond the sheer scale of destruction — is video circulating online that investigators believe shows Abdulkarim lighting the fire while delivering a profanity-laced grievance.
“All you had to do was pay us enough to live,” a voice believed to be Abdulkarim says repeatedly in the footage.
“You may not pay us enough to f*cking live … but these b*tches dirt cheap,” he adds referring to a lighter, as stacks of products catch fire. At one point, as flames begin to spread, a voice is heard over a walkie-talkie: “We’ve got a fire in the warehouse.” He concluded the rant saying, “there goes your inventory.”
Warning: Strong Language
A pissed off employee started a massive fire at a warehouse after complaining about low pay. 😬
“All you had to do was pay us enough to f*cking live… there goes your inventory.” pic.twitter.com/beWaZScs55
— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) April 8, 2026
Fire officials said the scale and speed of the blaze immediately raised red flags. “This fire was very quickly identified as suspicious in nature,” Ontario Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Wedell said. “There was a subject of interest identified very early on in the incident. That subject has been arrested.”
While investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive, if the video is verified, it would certainly leave little question.
More than 140 firefighters responded as the fire escalated to six alarms, with crews forced into a defensive operation as flames moved rapidly through the structure. Roughly 20 employees were inside at the time. No injuries were reported.
Abdulkarim was initially reported missing, but was later located nearby and taken into custody. He is being held without bail. The warehouse itself was a major regional hub, supplying paper goods to an estimated 50 million people. The facility is valued at roughly $156 million.
Officials said the building’s fire suppression system activated, but was ultimately compromised when part of the roof collapsed.
The nature of the inventory, large quantities of paper products, accelerated the fire’s spread. Flames and smoke were visible for miles, and air quality warnings were issued for surrounding neighborhoods. Several trucks docked at the facility were also destroyed.
Beyond the immediate damage, the fire is expected to have a broader economic impact. Industry analysts say the loss of the facility could affect more than 3% of Kimberly-Clark’s U.S. sales, while increasing transportation and logistics costs as distribution is rerouted. The company’s stock fell more than 4% following the incident.
The warehouse was operated by a third-party logistics firm, which said it is cooperating with authorities and working to relocate affected employees. Kimberly-Clark said its supply chain is designed to handle disruptions and does not expect widespread shortages.
Authorities say the video is part of an ongoing investigation.
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