RismadarVoice Reporters
June 12, 2026
Firefighters in Tracy, California, continued battling a massive warehouse fire on Friday, nearly a day after the blaze erupted and destroyed a major medical supply distribution facility.
The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at a Medline Industries warehouse spanning approximately one million square feet. The incident prompted the evacuation of the facility as well as nearby businesses, including logistics centres operated by FedEx and Amazon.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries were recorded. Officials also stated that all employees who were working at the warehouse when the fire started have been safely accounted for.
Emergency responders faced significant challenges while trying to contain the flames. According to fire officials, crews arrived to find intense fire activity on the building’s roof, where the blaze is believed to have originated.
High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity complicated firefighting efforts, allowing the flames to spread rapidly throughout the structure. Firefighters were unable to conduct an interior attack due to the severity of the blaze.
Officials revealed that the building’s sprinkler system was not functioning during the emergency, though the reason for the failure remains under investigation. Fire crews also encountered difficulties because of inadequate water pressure from nearby hydrants, a problem authorities said severely hampered containment operations.
Deputy Fire Chief, Brian Bagley noted that the sprinkler system had recently undergone testing, but without its protection, the warehouse was engulfed by flames in less than an hour.
Fire authorities described the incident as one of the largest warehouse fires ever encountered in the United States, estimating that suppression efforts could continue for several more days.
At the time the fire broke out, approximately 120 workers were inside the facility, which employs around 900 people.
The intense blaze also triggered smaller fires in surrounding areas after sparks spread beyond the warehouse grounds. One of those fires reached a nearby FedEx facility but was later brought under control.
Meanwhile, local officials have warned residents about potential health risks from the smoke. Air quality experts reported the presence of respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogenic substances and at least one neurotoxin in the smoke plume. Residents in affected communities have been advised to remain indoors and keep windows and doors closed until conditions improve.
Medline Industries, which describes itself as one of the world’s largest suppliers of medical and surgical products, confirmed that all impacted employees have been accounted for as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
