Massive Northern California Warehouse Fire Sends Smoke Miles Away, Triggers Multiple Blazes

A massive fire at a warehouse in Tracy in San Joaquin County broke out on June 11, sending plumes of thick, black smoke into the air that were visible from several miles away.

The fire broke out around 1 p.m. on the roof of the Medline Distribution Center, a medical supply warehouse, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing Tracy Police Department Spokesperson Kaylin Heefner. The facility is located south of Interstate 205 and nearly eight miles west of the city’s downtown area.

Everyone was safely evacuated from the building, and there were no reports of injuries, Heefner said.

The warehouse, which spans around 1 million square feet, was fully engulfed by the fire, according to an ABC7 report.

According to the report, the warehouse’s inventory of cardboard and paper products fueled the blaze, resulting in embers spreading as far as 2.5 miles away.

Stating that emergency crews were on the scene at the warehouse, San Joaquin County officials in a social media post urged residents to avoid the area and comply with road closures to ensure the safety of first responders and allow emergency crews to focus on suppressing the blaze.

The embers caused three secondary fires, including a fire at an adjacent FedEx facility and one near the local airport, according to the ABC7 report.

While everyone in the FedEx facility was safely evacuated, wooden pallets in the front of the warehouse burned.

The fire is reportedly one of the biggest warehouse blazes of its size in the nation’s history, according to the report.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced in a social media post that state resources from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and CAL FIRE were assisting local first responders and emergency personnel.

Over 120 firefighters and 35 pieces of equipment from several agencies, including the San Francisco Bay Area, were pressed into service to control the fire, according to ABC7.

When the firefighters entered the facility, they found that the sprinkler system was not operating, fire officials said.

Additionally, fire hydrants were not providing adequate pressure, impacting the firefighters’ ability to tackle the fire, ABC7 reported, citing Tracy Fire Chief Randall Bradley. The fire hydrants had passed inspection in January.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Reminding residents that the fire at the warehouse was producing heavy smoke, San Joaquin County officials advised the public to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and ensure pets are kept inside as well.

Residents were told to keep their air conditioners on recirculate mode to limit the spread of outside air inside their homes.