million-square-foot warehouse – A massive fire engulfed a million-square-foot medical supplies warehouse in Tracy, California, sending thick smoke for miles and forcing evacuations. Fire officials said firefighting was made difficult by limited water, high winds, high temperatures and humidi
By the time the worst of the smoke rolled across the Central Valley, residents could see it from miles away. The fire, which broke out shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday on the roof of the Medline Distribution Center in Tracy, was already spreading when local crews arrived.
The warehouse sits just south of Interstate 205, about eight miles west of downtown Tracy. Kaylin Heefner. a spokesperson for the Tracy Police Department. said local authorities worked with officers from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol to evacuate the building. Everyone was safely exited from the building and accounted for, and no injuries were reported.
During firefighting, the situation worsened quickly. Tracy Fire Chief Randall Bradley said an aggressive fire attack was complicated by a limited water supply. high winds. high temperatures and humidity. Heefner said the sprinklers were reportedly not operating when firefighters made entry into the warehouse.
The flames spread from the roof down into the warehouse facility and extended into a neighboring warehouse—a FedEx facility. Firefighters were able to put out the fire there. Still, other warehouses surrounding the Medline Distribution Center were evacuated as a precaution.
By Thursday evening, the San Joaquin County Fire Authority called the building a total loss. As of 7 p.m., the fire was continuing to burn, and officials did not provide information on crews’ progress containing the blaze.
Heefner said investigators would not be able to begin determining the cause until the fire is completely extinguished. Medline, in a statement, said all of its employees and on-site personnel were safe and accounted for. The company said it is coordinating closely with local authorities and first responders as it assesses the fire’s impact and will share more details as they become available.
Even as smoke from the fire drew attention across the Bay Area. air quality in the area was still considered good Thursday evening. according to Jaime Holt. a spokesperson with the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District. Holt recommended that people sensitive to air pollution—or at-risk groups such as older adults. children and those with heart or lung conditions—take precautions as the fire continues. That included turning on air purifiers and/or HVAC units. closing windows. and wearing an N95 mask if it’s necessary to be outside.
In a separate statement, the air district said if a resident saw ash or smelled smoke, they might be affected by fine particulate matter pollution. To reduce exposure, residents were advised to stay indoors when possible.
Tracy California warehouse fire Medline Distribution Center San Joaquin County Fire Authority evacuation air quality smoke firefighting
How does a warehouse just catch fire like that??
They said sprinklers weren’t operating and then “limited water”?? So was it electrical or like the water system failed? Either way that’s insane, people had to evacuate.
Sounds like it was basically unstoppable because of the weather and humidi (humidity) and all that. But I don’t get how you can be out of water when it’s like a whole county with reservoirs. Also FedEx got hit too so maybe it was a trucking accident up on the roof? Idk.
“Total loss” and still burning at 7pm… that’s wild. Medline makes medical supplies so I’m sure someone will spin it like it wasn’t preventable. Sprinklers not working is the biggest red flag though, like how do they not test that stuff? Tracy got smoke for miles, that’s terrifying.