Authorities closed the Ontario Mills mall on Friday after a reported fire broke out inside the mall, prompting officials to clear the area and urge the public to stay away. Video emerges of fire inside real religious store. People inside the mall could be seen panicking as fire officials attended to the scene.
The Ontario Provincial Police confirmed around noon that emergency crews had the fire under control. “The fire has been extinguished,” police said, adding that the mall “will be closed until further notice” as investigations continue.
Video from Ontario Mills
Video circulating on social media appears to show a fire breaking out inside a True Religion store. A TikTok user named SmokingRaysBackyardBBQ captured the incident inside the mall.
What was the cause of the fire? First details of suspect
Officials have not confirmed if anyone was detained or if more fires broke out elsewhere on the property. Details remained limited as of early afternoon, and police noted more information would be shared in an upcoming news release.
Southern California man charged in warehouse fire
Meanwhile, federal authorities have charged a Southern California man in connection with a catastrophic warehouse fire that caused an estimated $500 million in damage, officials confirmed Friday. This is not an Ontario Mills incident.
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland, was charged with intentionally setting the fire, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. He faces federal arson charges involving a building used for interstate and foreign commerce, and a criminal complaint was filed Thursday night.
Investigators say the April 7 fire destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution facility leased by major home goods manufacturer Kimberly-Clark in Ontario. The warehouse stored a large amount of paper products, but no injuries were reported.
Authorities claim Abdulkarim started multiple fires within the facility, targeting paper cargo pallets and recorded the incident as the flames spread. A federal affidavit further alleges that he shared the video online and made comments critical of wages, corporate profits and working conditions.
The fire quickly engulfed the entire building in what officials described as one of the most destructive warehouse fires in Southern California history. Damage estimates have reached about $500 million.
Abdulkarim was taken into custody Tuesday and remains jailed in San Bernardino County. He is also expected to face related state arson charges in local court. If convicted of the federal charges, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five to 20 years in prison.
