TRACY, Calif. (KGO) — A massive fire at a Tracy warehouse complex was burning out of control Thursday afternoon and sending a huge plume of black smoke into the air.
The fire broke out at a little before 1 p.m. at the Medline Distribution Center, a medical supply warehouse in the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway just south of Interstate Highway 205 and west of the downtown area, according to Tracy Police Department spokesperson Kaylin Heefner.
So far, no injuries have been reported, but the roughly 1 million square foot warehouse is fully engulfed in flames, according to the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority.
Jamie Holt, with the San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District, spoke with ABC7 Eyewitness about how the smoke from the Medline facility fire in Tracy may impact the air quality.
Holt said the air quality in the area still considered good but does recommend those considered "sensitive" and "at-risk" to take precautions as the evening hours approach, such as turning on air purifiers and/or HVAC units, closing windows and wearing an N95 mask if you can smell smoke.
She said the air district did not consider any of the supplies in the burning warehouse to be toxic to the air quality.
After the fire is put out, Holt said residents should see improved air quality. While smoke will dissipate, she did say it will start to travel south of Tracy due to the winds, and may hit some communities in that direction.
Watch the full interview in the player above.
In a Thursday evening press conference, Tracy Fire Chief Randall Bradley said when firefighters made entry into the Medline Inc. warehouse, the sprinkler system was not operating.
Chief Bradley also mentioned that fire hydrants were not providing good pressure, which hindered their ability to attack the fire.
FedEx confirmed that all team members at its Tracy warehouse have been safely evacuated and accounted for.
In a statement, FedEx said: "We are aware of a building fire that started at a neighboring location before spreading to the Tracy hub. All team members have been safely evacuated and are accounted for. As this is an active situation, further questions should be directed to the local authorities."
Nicole Boswell from San Joaquin County Fire Authority, whose jurisdiction covers Tracy and its unincorporated areas, said Tracy's Medline distribution center building is considered a total loss.
Boswell aslso said the neighboring FedEx building is threated due to high 25 mph winds.
Wooden pallets in front of the FedEx warehouse have burned.
Boswell also said that multiple big trailers have caught fire but did not specify which business they were associated with.
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