A massive blaze at a sprawling Tracy medical supplies warehouse is still burning as of Friday morning and may take days to put out, fire officials said.
By Thursday afternoon, the fire had fully engulfed a Medline distribution center at a business park in Southwest Tracy, sending plumes of black smoke up in the air that trailed for miles across San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.
Approximately 170 firefighters were initially called in for the five-alarm fire Thursday, though that number could be slightly higher, said Joseph Spani, a spokesperson for the Central Valley Incident Management Team, which is helping to oversee emergency response. The blaze is contained for now at the sprawling 1-million-square-foot warehouse, where 35 firefighters are on scene, Spani said.
Officials have yet to determine what caused the blaze to spark, Spani said, noting that the fire is still under investigation as crews continue working to extinguish it.
“It’s going to be a progression,” Spani said of the fire suppression efforts, one which will continue throughout the day Friday and likely extend into the weekend.
But the building, Spani added, is a total loss, with roof collapses reported throughout the structure.
Limited water supply, relatively low humidity, high winds and a scorching heat made firefighting “very difficult,” said Tracy Fire Chief Randall Bradley during a Thursday news conference. The gusty winds also pushed embers into nearby areas, burning at least 10 acres of grasslands, Spani said.
A nearby FedEx facility downwind from the fire also sustained exterior damage, according to the San Joaquin County Fire Authority’s latest incident update. Spani said pallets outside the FedEx building had caught fire as the nearby blaze initially spread.
As of Friday morning, no injuries to first responders or Medline staff had been reported, said Kaylin Heefner, a Tracy Police Department spokesperson. Medline also confirmed in a statement on its website that all the company’s employees working at the warehouse at the time were “safely evacuated and accounted for.”
No other nearby businesses have yet reported any damage, Heefner said. But road closures in place since Thursday afternoon have restricted semi truck access to nearby industrial warehouses.
Tan, almost white smoke was visible Friday morning across the region, the lighter color thanks to fire crews’ repeated water dousing over the burning site. The haze has since sent SJ County into a “moderate” air quality index, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
As suppression efforts continue, Spani said those who are sensitive to smoke should stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed. The San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District also recommended using an air filtration system to keep indoor areas clean.
Hansen Road from Interstate 205 until a dead end remains closed, along with the entirety of Promontory Parkway, said Heefner. Road updates can be found on Perimeter Map.
This is a developing story. Check back with Stocktonia for updates.