A massive fire at a Medline Industries warehouse in Tracy continues to burn, prompting officials to urge residents in the San Joaquin Valley to stay indoors and keep windows closed due to deteriorating air quality. The blaze broke out around 1 p.m.
Thursday on Promontory Parkway and burned through the night into Friday morning. Tracy Fire Deputy Chief Brian Bagley stated during a Friday press conference that it could take days for crews to fully extinguish the flames.
The fire's impact on air quality is exacerbated by weather conditions, including high winds, high temperatures, and low humidity. The Valley Air District reported Friday afternoon that smoke had moved over the valley overnight and mixed down toward the surface in northern and central San Joaquin Valley counties.
Smoke from the fire is expected to continue pushing south along the western part of the valley, potentially affecting San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare counties, and the San Joaquin Valley portion of Kern County. The district warned that visible ash or the smell of smoke indicates possible exposure to fine particulate matter pollution.
Residents in the immediate area and downwind are advised to remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed, and use air filtration systems. Air quality readings at the Tracy Municipal Airport on Friday afternoon showed moderate conditions, meaning unusually sensitive individuals should consider reducing outdoor activity and seek shelter if symptoms arise.
In Modesto and Madera, air quality fluctuated between good and moderate throughout Friday morning and early afternoon. The South San Joaquin County Fire Authority has established several air monitoring stations around the facility.
Bagley noted that results so far have not raised immediate concerns requiring protective action beyond sheltering. The full inventory of materials inside the warehouse remains unknown, but officials confirmed the presence of hazardous materials, including several hundred lithium battery-powered robots used for loading shelves.
A hazardous materials team is reviewing the warehouse's stored contents. The latest air quality readings are available on AirNow's website.