(TRACY, CA.) - Tracy’s massive 1-million-square-foot Medline medical supply distribution center was completely burned down within just 40 minutes of a fire breaking out at the facility.
Located in the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway, officials stated that the fire was believed to have started on the rooftop of the building around 1pm Thursday afternoon. “We’re struggling a little bit to get to the seat of the fire,” South San Joaquin Fire Authority Chief Randall Bradley said.
Video Credit: Tracy Resident, Amin / YouTube
He explained that at the height of the incident, which was between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday, there were 120 personnel on site but this has since decreased to 20 personnel. ”We expect this to continue”, he added.
Though firefighting efforts have mitigated the situation, Chief Bradley explained that the amount of the debris is making the process slow and anticipates that firefighters will stay at the location for another couple of days to extinguish the fire. He noted that since the fire had started they have dispersed about 5,000 gallons of water a minute to help suppress the flames.
The Chief also noted that the facility's internal sprinkler system had failed to activate and spray water. Combined with high winds and extreme heat, it contributed to the speed at which the fire consumed the building.
Photo Credit: South County Fire/ Instagram
Tracy’s Medline facility is one of the largest supply chain facilities that handles the storage, logistics and distribution of surgical supplies for healthcare providers serving areas throughout the Bay Area, Sacramento Valley and the broader Western United States.
Medline has already begun allocating and assigning product distribution to other facilities to stabilize their supply chain. Other nearby facilities including Fedex and Amazon were also affected, with Fedex specifically sustaining minor exterior damage.
San Joaquin Air District initially declared that air quality had reached an Unhealthy AQI (Air Quality Index) and advised those in the vicinity to “stay indoors, when possible, close windows and doors, and use indoor air filtration to help keep indoor air clean.” Bradley told concerned residents that they should reach out to ValleyAir.org, SJCready.org and AirNow.gov for further guidance and information regarding the air quality.
Video Credit: Opgov.news / YouTube
Since debris had also scattered across into nearby neighborhoods, Bradley told residents that County Health instructed people to not touch any debris and that safety personnel will await further orders regarding what to do with it.
Kim, a Tracy resident, told Opgov.news, “ I know it’s early and there will be an investigation into the cause but I just hope that any negligence on behalf of the company will be held responsible.” Kim also thanked the fire department for their efforts and stated things could have been much worse. She also emphasized the need for accountability saying, “ I don’t want to hear about some inspector being fired and sweep this under the rug.”
Amin, another Tracy resident, told Opgov.news “The Medline Fire was a reminder of how volatile this town is.” He noted the constant fear of how every summer, residents live in fear of wildfires happening and their houses being burned. Amin’s frustration was also geared towards the type of community Tracy is in regards to warehouses.
Photo Credit: Opgov.news
He said, “ I can tell you that Tracy residents are already fed up with the amount of warehouses being built in this town.” He noted that because of this, the city has become more of a truck stop than a community.
Fire Chief Bradley stated firefighters are actively collaborating with structural engineers and safety personnel to begin the recovery phase of the situation by implementing a long-term plan to remedy the emergency.
This is a developing story. If you have any questions, concerns or comments please feel free to email me at yikaileau.w@lead4earth.org
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