Fire Destroys 1.2M SF Inland Empire Warehouse Filled With Toilet Paper
A massive fire, now suspected to be arson, at a 1.2M SF warehouse in the Inland Empire city of Ontario led to the building's roof collapsing.
The blaze broke out Tuesday morning and raced through the building, which held tissue and toilet paper. At one point, it grew to the level of a six-alarm fire, with about 175 firefighters working on it, the Los Angeles Times reported.
By Tuesday afternoon, the fire was considered under control and no longer spreading. It was contained to the building where it started, according to the Ontario Fire Department.
Ontario Deputy Fire Chief Mike Wedell told Bloomberg all the products inside were destroyed.
The massive warehouse is leased by Kimberly-Clark. The arson suspect is a 29-year-old man from nearby Highland who works for a third-party company that distributes Kimberly-Clark products.
The loss of product inside the warehouse could create a supply shortage on the West Coast equal to about 3% of sales for Kimberly-Clark's business, Bloomberg reported.
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The warehouse, part of a 2.6M SF, three-building project called Ontario Ranch, was developed by Clarion Partners and Real Estate Development Associates, and property records indicate no sales since the one to the developers. Kimberly-Clark preleased its space in 2019.
"The facility is operated by a third-party partner and we are working closely with them and local authorities," a Kimberly-Clark spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times.
