Unhealthy air quality in Tracy as huge warehouse fire burns for 3rd day

A massive fire at a Medline medical equipment warehouse in Tracy, California, continued for a third day, causing unhealthy air quality in the area. Firefighters faced challenges from poorly functioning sprinklers and hydrants, and urged sensitive residents to stay indoors. The blaze, which sent embers flying for miles, is under investigation.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready...TRACY AP — People sensitive to smoke were urged to stay indoors as firefighters spent a third day Saturday battling a fire in a huge medical equipment warehouse https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/11/massive-fire-destroys-tracy-medical-supply-warehouse/ . Air quality on the south side of Tracy, where the Medline warehouse fire has been burning since Thursday, was in the “unhealthy” range, according to air monitors. https://fire.airnow.gov/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSadpNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFqMnlRUGZSeU5LN2c0Vnp6c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkMywphRQwHCo0Ra4SuPP9C6XqJpGYIr9IZXtMZf7XB1Qa9rpHWX4-er2sDI aem 28v-GcaBO4OmWV544YSErg 9.9/37.6825/-121.4405 Firefighters expected the next few days to remain smoky amid a lengthy effort to put out the fire inside the building, South San Joaquin County Fire Authority Fire Chief Randall Bradley said in a statement. The local fire marshal was investigating, and officials are meeting with company representatives, structural engineers and others to assess the building, Bradley said. Plans were being made for employees to retrieve their vehicles from the site. Meanwhile, firefighters urged people to avoid the area and not touch or move debris from the fire. Medline is a major provider of medical-surgical products such as latex gloves, masks and surgical instruments. The blaze at the 1 million-square-foot warehouse sent embers flying for miles. Poorly functioning sprinklers and hydrants with little to no flow hindered firefighter efforts. The problem appeared to be with the facility’s fire-suppression system and not city water supplies, they said. No issues were found when an outside company tested the sprinkler system in January, firefighters said.