Four days after a massive fire destroyed a Medline distribution warehouse in Tracy, residents continue to find debris scattered across neighborhoods while officials work to determine the potential health impacts of the incident.Homeowners in the Tracy Hills community reported finding charred material in yards, parks, and streets following the June 11 fire, which sent thick smoke and debris into the air.”I don’t know exactly what this is,” resident Rick Kim said while examining debris collected near his home.For some families, the uncertainty has changed daily routines.Vish Krishnamurthy said he kept his young daughter indoors after debris began falling into the neighborhood.”We want to ensure that she doesn’t want to touch or explore anything, just like put it into her mouth or at least feel it,” Krishnamurthy said.The concerns stem from warnings issued by San Joaquin County Public Health Services in the days after the fire, when officials said the blaze released respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens and at least one neurotoxin.San Joaquin County officials previously warned residents not to touch debris found after the fire. During a briefing, fire officials said the warehouse contained a large inventory of hazardous materials, including lithium-ion battery-powered robots used inside the facility.The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services told KCRA that Medline and property owner Prologis have begun water sampling efforts at a retention pond near the warehouse as part of ongoing environmental assessments.County officials have not provided a timeline for when those results will be available.UC Davis civil and environmental engineering professor Michael Kleeman said large industrial fires can produce a wide variety of particles depending on what materials were stored inside a structure.”There may be all kinds of different things inside a warehouse, a house, or a factory that, when it burns, it isn’t just producing the same type of particle in the atmosphere,” Kleeman said. “It’s producing things that contain trace metals.”In a statement to KCRA, San Joaquin County Public Health said they are continuing to evaluate the incident:”The County’s priority is protecting the health and safety of our community during the ongoing response and recovery efforts,” the statement said. “Public Health Services is actively working to evaluate the full scope and potential health impacts of the Medline Fire incident.”Officials said understanding the full impacts of the fire will take time and pledged to provide updates as more information becomes available.For now, South County Fire continues to urge residents to avoid handling debris and to report any material found in neighborhoods.Officials have created a reporting system where residents can identify locations where debris has been found.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Four days after a massive fire destroyed a Medline distribution warehouse in Tracy, residents continue to find debris scattered across neighborhoods while officials work to determine the potential health impacts of the incident.
Homeowners in the Tracy Hills community reported finding charred material in yards, parks, and streets following the June 11 fire, which sent thick smoke and debris into the air.
“I don’t know exactly what this is,” resident Rick Kim said while examining debris collected near his home.
For some families, the uncertainty has changed daily routines.
Vish Krishnamurthy said he kept his young daughter indoors after debris began falling into the neighborhood.
“We want to ensure that she doesn’t want to touch or explore anything, just like put it into her mouth or at least feel it,” Krishnamurthy said.
The concerns stem from warnings issued by San Joaquin County Public Health Services in the days after the fire, when officials said the blaze released respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens and at least one neurotoxin.
San Joaquin County officials previously warned residents not to touch debris found after the fire. During a briefing, fire officials said the warehouse contained a large inventory of hazardous materials, including lithium-ion battery-powered robots used inside the facility.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services told KCRA that Medline and property owner Prologis have begun water sampling efforts at a retention pond near the warehouse as part of ongoing environmental assessments.
County officials have not provided a timeline for when those results will be available.
UC Davis civil and environmental engineering professor Michael Kleeman said large industrial fires can produce a wide variety of particles depending on what materials were stored inside a structure.
“There may be all kinds of different things inside a warehouse, a house, or a factory that, when it burns, it isn’t just producing the same type of particle in the atmosphere,” Kleeman said. “It’s producing things that contain trace metals.”
In a statement to KCRA, San Joaquin County Public Health said they are continuing to evaluate the incident:
“The County’s priority is protecting the health and safety of our community during the ongoing response and recovery efforts,” the statement said. “Public Health Services is actively working to evaluate the full scope and potential health impacts of the Medline Fire incident.”
Officials said understanding the full impacts of the fire will take time and pledged to provide updates as more information becomes available.
For now, South County Fire continues to urge residents to avoid handling debris and to report any material found in neighborhoods.
Officials have created a reporting system where residents can identify locations where debris has been found.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
