San Joaquin County health officials are urging residents to take precautions when cleaning ash and fire debris from the Promontory/Medline Fire, which created a debris field covering about six square miles.
San Joaquin County Public Health Services said in a Monday press release that ash from burned structures may contain hazardous materials, including chemicals, metals and fine particulate matter that can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs. Officials said guidance may change as material is examined and tested in the days and weeks ahead.
“We are always concerned with protecting county residents and want to ensure that people in the vicinity of the fire take safety precautions as they remove ash and debris from their property, just in case there are irritant chemicals present,” said Maggie Park, San Joaquin County public health officer.
Park also said a few areas had moderate air quality and encouraged sensitive groups, including pregnant people and people with heart or lung disease, to keep outdoor activities short and less intense.
County officials urged residents and workers in affected areas to wear protective equipment during cleanup, including an N95 respirator or higher, goggles, gloves, long sleeves and long pants. Children, pets, older adults and people with respiratory or heart conditions should be kept away from ash and debris.
Residents should lightly mist ash with water before cleanup to reduce airborne particles, county officials said. They should not sweep dry ash, use leaf blowers or vacuum ash unless using a HEPA-filtered vacuum.
County officials also advised residents to wash exposed skin with soap and water, launder cleanup clothing separately and double bag ash and debris so it can be stored separately from regular household waste for proper disposal.
Free personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, is available at Fire Station 95 in Tracy Hills on Tracy Hills Drive. Residents seeking debris removal or cleanup assistance can call the Community Cleanup Helpline at (209) 751-1888 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
District 5 Supervisor Robert Rickman said in a statement that county workers responded quickly during the incident.
“From first responders and public health professionals to emergency services personnel, I am proud of the swift and coordinated response by our county employees,” Rickman said. “During the most critical moments of this rapidly evolving incident, they worked tirelessly to provide timely information, resources, and support to our residents and help keep our community safe.”
The county guidance comes as recovery efforts continue at the Medline Industries distribution facility in the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway in Tracy. The South San Joaquin County Fire Authority said Sunday that an excavation company had begun removing portions of the building’s exterior walls to give firefighters better access to remaining hot spots and smoldering areas inside the facility.
The fire authority said smoke had significantly decreased and continued to dissipate Sunday, though some smoldering remained. Residents were encouraged to continue monitoring local air-quality conditions through county and regional agencies.
The city of Lathrop initially warned residents through a Facebook post Monday that debris from the fire had been found in River Islands, but later said it could no longer confirm that any Medline fire debris had been found within the city. Lathrop residents were advised to continue watching for materials that may appear to be ash or debris and report them by calling the Community Cleanup Helpline.
The Sunday update followed a Saturday air-quality advisory from the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services, which said air quality in parts of the community had reached levels considered unhealthy for most people, especially those with chronic medical or respiratory conditions. The county urged residents to limit prolonged outdoor activity, keep windows closed when possible, recirculate indoor air and consider wearing an N95 mask if outdoor activity was necessary.
Previous Stocktonia reporting found that Friday air monitors had not detected significant ground-level pollution from the plume, though health experts warned residents should still avoid smoke and watch for symptoms.
Road closures remained in effect around Promontory Parkway near the Medline facility, located within the International Park of Commerce in southwest Tracy. There was still no public access to the facility, and officials asked residents to avoid the area.
The fire began Thursday afternoon and destroyed the Medline warehouse. Fire officials previously said investigators were examining what caused the blaze, as well as why water was not reaching parts of the building’s fire suppression system.
The fire remains under investigation.