Overview
- The blaze started on the roof shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday and spread across the roughly 1‑million‑square‑foot building in about 30 minutes.
- All on‑site personnel were evacuated and accounted for, and Promontory Parkway and nearby warehouse properties were closed and cleared for safety.
- Fire chiefs said interior sprinklers did not operate and on‑site hydrants had little or no pressure, forcing exterior attacks that left the building a total loss.
- Burning medical supplies, lithium‑ion robots and stored chemicals produced thick black smoke that moved across the region and led air monitors to record unhealthy levels on the south side of Tracy.
- Medline has activated a command center, begun rerouting inventory to other distribution centers and allowed undamaged trucks to depart while investigators wait for full extinguishment to begin a formal cause probe and crews manage hotspots.