Tracy Warehouse Fire
Large Medline warehouse fire in Tracy prompts evacuations, causes significant traffic delays.
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Key Points
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City officials said officers first responded to the fire at about 1:41 p.m. on the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway.
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Medline was identified as the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies.
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CHP Dublin reported that the brush fire was affecting traffic on eastbound I-580 near Grant Line Road.
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Tracy Police said in a statement: “Promontory Parkway will be closed while fire crews work to contain the fire and ensure the area is safe,” and officers were assisting with evacuations and directing traffic.
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CBS Sacramento reported that while police urged people to avoid Promontory Parkway near Hansen Road, it was “unclear what is being evacuated” at the time of their update.
A massive fire tore through a Medline Industries warehouse in Tracy, California on Thursday afternoon, sending a towering black plume of smoke across the San Joaquin Valley and forcing evacuations across the ProLogis International Park of Commerce. Tracy Police Department said the first call came in at 1:41 p.m. on the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway — and the blaze escalated to a 3rd alarm within less than an hour.
The fire struck a Medline facility — the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies — just steps from an Amazon fulfillment center and a FedEx ground hub, according to KRON4. Promontory Parkway was shut down and officers began directing traffic as crews raced to keep the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings.
Fire Escalates Fast, Highways Snarl With Delays
Incident commanders upgraded the response from a 1st to a 3rd alarm in roughly 55 minutes, according to ABC10. Exterior trailers and parked vehicles near the Medline building caught fire, complicating suppression efforts. Mutual aid was requested from agencies across both San Joaquin and Alameda Counties as firefighters shifted to defensive operations to protect the Amazon and FedEx facilities next door.
By 2:15 p.m., a related brush fire had ignited near eastbound I-580 and Grant Line Road, likely sparked by wind-blown embers. CHP Dublin reported significant traffic slowdowns on I-580. Tracy Police told the public: "Promontory Parkway will be closed while fire crews work to contain the fire and ensure the area is safe." Drivers were urged to use alternate routes.
Medline's Troubled Week Before the Blaze
The fire hit Medline at an already difficult moment. Just one week earlier, on June 4, the FDA issued a warning letter to the company over repeated toxic bacteria contamination — specifically Bacillus cereus — at its facilities, according to Fierce Pharma. In January 2026, Medline also faced a Class 1 recall of homecare beds due to electrical faults that posed a direct fire risk, per FDA.gov.
Fire crews had also responded to an alarm at this exact Promontory Parkway location on June 5 — just six days before Thursday's blaze. That call was ruled a faulty detector. As of Thursday afternoon, Medline had not issued a public statement, though corporate safety protocols were activated for employee evacuations.
Medical Supply Chain Faces Cascading Disruptions
The ProLogis International Park of Commerce in Tracy is a key hub for Western U.S. medical supply distribution. A shutdown at the Medline site — even for 48 hours — could delay shipments of surgical kits and pharmaceuticals to Northern California hospitals. KMPH noted that Medline is the largest privately run manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the country, making this facility a critical node in regional healthcare logistics.
The economic stakes are high. A similar warehouse fire at a Kimberly-Clark distribution center in Ontario, California in April 2026 caused an estimated $500 million to $600 million in direct losses, according to the Department of Justice. Analysts warn that Medline's private ownership means the true financial damage here may not be publicly disclosed for weeks.
Dense Smoke Raises Air Quality Fears Across Region
The thick black smoke visible across the valley points to the burning of plastics, medical-grade polymers, and rubber — common materials in a medical supply warehouse. San Joaquin County OES confirmed that multiple commercial trailers caught fire, with unknown contents adding to the hazard. Authorities were tracking Altamont Pass wind patterns to assess whether toxic smoke could reach the Central Valley or Bay Area.
CBS Sacramento reported that while police urged people to avoid Promontory Parkway near Hansen Road, it was "unclear what is being evacuated" at the time. Emergency managers treated the incident as a potential multi-tenant spread-risk event from the start — evacuating not just Medline but surrounding warehouses across the entire industrial cluster.
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