FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUED MAKING PROGRESS Sunday at the Medline warehouse fire in Tracy, where recovery operations began shifting toward gaining access to remaining hot spots inside the destroyed facility, according to an update from the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority.
An excavation company began work Sunday morning removing portions of the facility’s exterior walls, the agency said in an update early that afternoon. The work is expected to give firefighters better access to smoldering areas that remained inside the building.
The update came after fire officials previously said the Medline warehouse was a total loss and crews would continue working hot spots while investigators examined the cause of the fire and problems with the building’s fire suppression system.
Smoke from the fire had significantly decreased by Sunday and continued to dissipate, though some smoldering remained, according to the fire authority. Residents were encouraged to continue monitoring local air-quality conditions through county and regional agencies.
“We are working with the County Office of Emergency Services to see what the best guidelines are,” Tracy Mayor Dan Arriola said during a press conference on Friday. “Updated public guidance will be posted through SJReady.org.”
The update came after the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency services issued an air-quality advisory on Saturday saying that conditions in part of the community had reached levels considered unhealthy for most people, especially for those with chronic medical or respiratory conditions.
“Residents are encouraged to take precautions, particularly children, older adults, and individuals with heart or lung conditions. Limit prolonged outdoor activities, keep windows closed when possible, recirculate indoor air, and consider wearing an N95 mask if outdoor activity is necessary,” the advisory said.
Limiting smoke exposure
Afif El-Hasan, a Southern California pediatrician and asthma specialist who serves on the national board of the American Lung Association, told Stocktonia Friday that AQI is an important measurement but does not necessarily represent every risk a person may face near an industrial fire.
“Everyone who is exposed to that smoke is vulnerable in some way,” he said.
Residents should watch for shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme weakness, irritation or burning in the throat or nose, burning eyes and excessive tearing, El-Hasan said.
“If they can smell something in the air from the fire or in that area, even if the AQI says that everything’s OK, they should still take precautions,” El-Hasan said.
Road closures remained in effect, and there was still no public access to the facility. Officials also asked residents to avoid the area near the Medline facility, located within the International Park of Commerce in southwest Tracy. There was still no public access to the facility, and officials asked residents to avoid the area and not touch any fire-related debris that may have settled in yards or neighborhoods.
This story originally appeared in Stocktonia.
