Industrial Fires and Public Safety

A massive six-alarm fire tore through a 1.2 million‑square‑foot Kimberly‑Clark consumer goods warehouse in Ontario, California, early Tuesday, and authorities say an employee is in custody as they investigate the blaze as suspected arson. Crews from Ontario Fire Department, San Bernardino County Fire and multiple neighboring agencies responded around 12:30 a.m., finding flames already ripping through the roof and quickly spreading through paper products such as tissues stored inside. About 20 employees were in the facility when the fire broke out, but all escaped without injury, according to local reports. By around 5 a.m., firefighters had shifted to a defensive strategy, surrounding the building with ladder trucks and dousing it from above as the fire continued to burn. Deputy Chief Mike Wedell said the internal sprinkler system was working but the fire grew "exponentially very quickly," forcing interior crews to retreat, while officials confirmed that one employee suspect was arrested and is awaiting questioning by Ontario police detectives.