'All You Had To Do Was Pay Us Enough To Live.' Video Shows Man Starting IE Warehouse Inferno

ONTARIO, CA — A one-million-square-foot distribution center in Ontario ignited Tuesday, leaving the building and everything inside of it in ruins. The person suspected of igniting the fire was among 20 workers inside when it began. Now, he is behind bars, held without bail, while the rest wait to hear what comes next for their jobs.

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland, was arrested on suspicion of arson on Tuesday. He is being held without bail at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department West Valley Jail, awaiting a Thursday court appearance at Rancho Superior Court. There, he will answer to numerous felony charges, including committing arson at an inhabited structure and arson with destruction of property, according to jail records.

Coworkers who fled the burning building initially thought the suspected arsonist was trapped inside. Later, a social media video revealed that he was angrily setting pallets of toilet paper aflame with a lighter while ranting about poor pay at the facility.

Third-party logistics partner NFI Industries has verified that Abdulkarim was an employee of that company. An Ontario Police Department spokesperson said they are aware of the social media video that shows the inside of the warehouse and a man's hand—believed to be Abdulkarim's—igniting rolls of toilet paper while ranting as the blaze begins and alarms wail.

"All you had to do was pay us enough to live," the man who recorded the video repeats multiple times.

The video below, originally shared by Abdulkarim's account, has since been blocked from social accounts. Ontario Police have confirmed to Patch that the video below appears to have been filmed by the suspect, a fact that will be determined during the investigation.

"He did do it!" Alex Montero wrote on his shared Instagram story. He is an NFI distribution center worker, one of those who fled the fire when the alarms rang out.

Montero is a recent hire at the distribution center, having just worked there for three weeks. Now, Montero is waiting to hear what happens next regarding his job. He spoke with Patch about what had transpired that morning with Abdulkarim, someone he considered a friend.

"When we first didn't see him there, we were a little worried for him and had no idea he was inside doing that," Montero said, speaking of the video showing someone lighting multiple fires. "We were really shocked after seeing the video, and kind of relieved he didn't do anything else (even) worse."

While the building burned, Montero and his coworkers first fled to the back of the building, then were ordered by firefighters to move their cars to a safe distance.

"I think we just lost our jobs, the warehouse is on fire," he said. Another worker noticed that the semi-truck trailers, which had backed up to the warehouse doors, were also burning.

"Let's pray he gets out," one co-worker said, speaking of the missing Abdulkarim.

The crew gathered on a bridge in disbelief.

"You could see the flames. We're cooked," he said in a video recording shared with Patch as embers, smoke and flames rose. "Everything was exploding inside."

Now, he is waiting to hear if he has a job to go to.

NFI has contacted its Ontario Distribution Center workers, he said. "They're hopefully going to relocate us to another facility," he said, but has not yet received word on when or where.

NFI spokesperson Britny Francis shared a statement with Patch about the incident.

"We are grateful that all employees are accounted for and no injuries have been reported," Francis told Patch. "We have been informed that an NFI employee has been taken into custody, and we are cooperating with the authorities in their ongoing investigation."

They have not yet shared what the plan is for the employees of that facility, which they operate on behalf of Kimberly-Clark.

One day after the blaze, the building is a shell. During the fire, the roof collapsed, which dismantled the overhead fire suppression system. Everything housed inside was lost, according to the City of Ontario Fire Department.

Meanwhile, San Bernardino County's Fourth District Supervisor, Curt Hagman, shared a statement with Patch regarding the incident and any employees who may be displaced from their jobs:

"I am thankful to hear that no injuries were immediately reported from the fire at the Kimberly-Clark facility. Especially grateful for the quick response from all of the public safety agencies that responded. The County is ready to support any workers should they need assistance."

Kimberly-Clark confirmed that no personnel were injured in the early-morning fire and that all employees of the facility operator were safely evacuated. No Kimberly-Clark employees were at the location when it burned, according to a recent news release from that company.

"Kimberly-Clark extends its gratitude to local authorities and firefighters who responded to the incident," a spokesperson for the agency said.

The paper manufacturer has activated a response team to manage the situation and minimize the impact on customers and consumers, who will also be affected by product losses.

"Property damage insurance policies are in place," the release said. "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."

As for NFI workers like Montero, he is waiting to hear what to do next regarding his job. Having fled the fire and learned someone he considered a friend sparked the blaze, he said, has been startling.

"We're doing good," he said. We're shaken up a little. Just hoping to get a job soon."

Supervisor Hagman's office directed any displaced workers seeking employment or training resources to visit the West Valley AJCC located at 9650 9^th Street, Suite A, Rancho Cucamonga, or call 909-941-6500 for assistance.

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