Fire destroys medical equipment warehouse in California and prompts evacuations at nearby facilities
TRACY, Calif. (AP) — A fire destroyed a medical equipment warehouse in Northern California, sending thick black smoke into the sky Thursday and prompting the evacuation of other nearby facilities as authorities scrambled to contain the blaze.
The fire was sparked at the large distribution center of Medline, a major supplier of medical-surgical products, in Tracy, a city about 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) east of San Francisco. The fire spread to the FedEx facility across the street, where crews were able to contain it, according to Fire Chief Randall Bradley of the Southern San Joaquin County Fire Authority.
Authorities evacuated much of the area because winds increased the risk of embers spreading, the sergeant said. Michael Richards is with the city’s police department. The 1 million-square-foot (93,000-square-foot) warehouse is located in a massive industrial park that also houses fulfillment and distribution centers for Amazon, Home Depot and FedEx.
Medline said all of its employees and other personnel in the field were accounted for.
“We are working closely with local authorities and first responders as we assess the impact of the fire and will share more details as they become available,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement.
Tracy Mayor Dan Arriola said the fire was in the city’s largest industrial area and far from homes.
“I understand that the fire has completely engulfed Medline and they are working to ensure the fire is contained at that facility,” he said. FedEx and Amazon said their distribution centers were evacuated.
Medline is a supplier of latex gloves, masks, surgical instruments and other medical supplies, which Arriola said has played a key role in distributing medical supplies needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials said they are assessing air quality and potential impacts on residents. Authorities are investigating what started the fire.
Bradley said faulty water pressure and low water pressure in the facility’s hydrants hindered firefighting. It turned out that the problems were with the tank’s water system, not the city’s water system. Authorities don’t yet know what went wrong, he said.
“Things worked against us,” he said, citing water supply problems, low humidity, high winds and high temperatures. “It was a bit of a perfect storm because of the rapid evolution of this fire.”
No homes were evacuated.
The high temperature for Tracy on Thursday was expected to reach 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) and no rain was expected.
