TRACY, Calif. — Thick black smoke billowed into the sky Thursday as a massive blaze erupted at a medical equipment distribution facility in Northern California, forcing authorities to clear out surrounding warehouses while battling the flames.
The blaze broke out at a Medline distribution center in Tracy, located approximately 55 miles east of San Francisco. Police Sgt. Michael Richards said officials evacuated a significant portion of the surrounding area due to concerns that wind conditions could spread burning debris. The affected warehouse sits within a sprawling industrial complex that includes distribution and fulfillment operations for Amazon, Home Depot and FedEx.
Medline confirmed that all workers and other personnel at the location have been safely accounted for.
“We are coordinating closely with local authorities and first responders as we assess the fire’s impact and will share more details as they become available,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.
Fire Chief Randall Bradley of the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority said firefighting efforts were hampered by what appeared to be a malfunctioning sprinkler system and insufficient water pressure from hydrants at the facility. He noted the problems seemed to stem from the warehouse’s water infrastructure rather than the city’s system, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
“Things worked against us,” he said, citing water supply issues, low humidity, high winds and high temperatures. “It was a little bit of a perfect storm for this fire evolving quickly.”
Residential areas were not affected by the evacuation orders.
