A 1 million-square-foot warehouse complex in Tracy, California, is currently providing an unwanted light show and air quality demonstration after a fire broke out Thursday afternoon and continued burning out of control into early Friday. The blaze, which authorities warn could take days to extinguish and may contain toxic hazards, has already destroyed a Medline medical equipment distribution center and prompted evacuations of nearby facilities.
Aerial images show thick black smoke billowing in clouds with a red hot glow visible beneath, because nothing says "medical supply safety" like an uncontrolled inferno. The fire spread across the street into a FedEx facility, where crews heroically blocked it, according to Fire Chief Randall Bradley of the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority. Bradley noted that a broken sprinkler system and low water pressure in the hydrants - apparently the warehouse's fault, not the city's - hampered firefighting efforts. Low humidity, high temperatures, and strong winds also joined the party.
Medline employee Antonio Talavera told ABC7 the fire moved with alarming speed: "Within 30 minutes, half the building was covered already." Officials evacuated a large portion of the area as wind spread embers, causing three secondary fires, said Sgt. Michael Richards of the Tracy Police Department. No homes had been evacuated by early Friday, but the warehouse sits in an industrial park alongside Amazon, Home Depot, and FedEx distribution centers, presumably all watching nervously.
Medline, a supplier of latex gloves, masks, and surgical instruments that were key during the COVID-19 pandemic, confirmed all employees were accounted for. "We are coordinating closely with local authorities and first responders as we assess the fire's impact," a spokesperson said, in the kind of statement that writes itself. Tracy Mayor Dan Arriola said officials are evaluating air quality and potential impacts to residents, while authorities encouraged "sensitive" groups - children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions - to stay indoors and limit smoke exposure. An investigation into the cause is underway, because apparently warehouses don't just spontaneously combust.