A predawn drone captured a six‑alarm blaze that ripped through a 1.2 million‑square‑foot warehouse of paper giant Kimberly‑Clark in Ontario, Calif., about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. The fire ignited around 12:30 a.m., turning the structure into a glowing volcano‑like column. Twenty staff were on site, yet none were injured. Firefighters first thought sprinklers held the blaze, but it surged, swallowing the roof and loading docks.

More than 140 firefighters from three counties converged on the scene, but the blaze quickly overwhelmed the sprinkler system, forcing crews to withdraw within 15 minutes. Deputy chief Mike Wedell identified the incident as arson; a warehouse employee was arrested and charged. Smoke and ash drifted into Riverside and San Bernardino, coating neighborhoods in a fine residue.

The destroyed facility was run by a third‑party partner, leaving Kimberly‑Clark to absorb the loss while insurers assess claims. With the site housing large paper stock, the fire wipes out inventory that could disrupt supply contracts in the western U.S. market. Estimates put the loss in the tens of millions, tightening the company's quarterly earnings. The incident underscores risk for manufacturers reliant on outsourced warehouses.