An excavation company has began removing portions of the exterior walls of the Tracy Medline facility that was destroyed in the June 11 fire.
As of Monday, June 15, the blaze continues to burn for the fourth day with firefighters attempting to reach the seat of the fire in order to get water into the origin point, according to fire officials.
Medline’s 1 million-square-foot warehouse, located at 5701 Promontory Parkway, is the largest provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving all points of care.
The South San Joaquin County Fire Authority said by removing the exterior walls firefighters will have better access to address remaining hotspots and smoldering areas on the inside of the building.
Smoldering refers to an area where a flameless form of burning is occurring that produces smoke but not a visible fire.
Fire officials said while the smoke has significantly decreased and has continued to dissipate, some of the smoldering has not stopped.
The road closures in the area remain in place and no public access to the facility is allowed at this time, officials said.
Resources to check for air quality include San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, AirNow’s fire and smoke map, and SJ Ready Office of Emergency Services.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Removal of exterior walls begins at Medline in Tracy, fire still burning
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
