TRACY, Calif. — A massive fire that destroyed a medical supply warehouse in Northern California continued to draw an extensive emergency response on Friday, as firefighters worked to contain hot spots and authorities investigated the cause of the blaze, officials said.
The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at a distribution facility operated by Medline, a major supplier of medical equipment and surgical products, in the city of Tracy, about 55 miles (89 km) east of San Francisco, according to the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority. The warehouse, covering about 1 million square feet, was destroyed in the incident. Authorities said no injuries were reported and all employees were safely evacuated.
Fire officials said the blaze spread rapidly through the facility amid high temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions. Fire Chief Randall Bradley said crews were also hindered by problems with the building’s fire-suppression system, including sprinklers and hydrants that were not functioning properly. Authorities said the issue appeared to be related to the facility’s internal water system rather than the city’s supply.
“We did a defensive approach at that point,” Tracy Deputy Fire Chief Brian Bagley said after firefighters found little or no water flowing through the warehouse’s suppression systems. Officials said the building became fully engulfed within about 40 minutes.
The fire prompted evacuations at nearby industrial facilities, including distribution centers operated by FedEx and Amazon, according to local officials. Embers carried by the wind ignited additional fires in nearby grass and equipment storage areas, though firefighters said those secondary fires were brought under control.
Medline said it had activated contingency plans to reduce disruption to customers. In a statement, the company said product distribution previously handled by the Tracy facility was being reassigned to other locations within its network. The company said all employees and on-site personnel were accounted for.
Authorities said air quality was being monitored because of heavy smoke from the fire. Local officials advised residents, particularly people with respiratory conditions, to remain indoors and limit exposure to smoke while assessments continued. The extent of any long-term environmental impact remained unclear.
Federal and local investigators, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are assisting in determining the cause of the fire, officials said. As of Saturday, crews remained at the site, and authorities said the response could continue for several days while hot spots were extinguished and the investigation proceeded.
