A massive fire destroyed the Medline Industries distribution warehouse in Tracy, California on June 11, 2026
Tracy, California — June 11, 2026
One of the largest warehouse fires in American history is burning in Tracy, California tonight — destroying the entire 1 million square foot Medline Industries medical supply distribution center and raising urgent questions about the impact on hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country that depend on Medline's products.
Fire crews responded to the Medline Industries warehouse along Promontory Parkway at around 1 PM on Thursday June 11. Crews found heavy fire coming from the roof of the 1 million square foot building. The fire quickly extended across the roof and into the facility, and crews were not able to contain the fire before it engulfed the entire building within 30 to 40 minutes.
The fire broke out at the Medline Distribution Center, a medical supply warehouse in the 5700 block of Promontory Parkway just south of Interstate Highway 205 and west of the downtown area.
Fire officials said the sprinkler system at the Medline distribution warehouse was not functioning when the fire broke out and the water pressure was too low at fire hydrants inside the complex — a catastrophic failure that allowed the blaze to spread unchecked through the entire building.
Multiple explosions were heard during the fire. Tracy Fire Chief Randall Bradley confirmed they came from truck tires and medical products stored inside the facility.
The combination of a failed sprinkler system, low water pressure and a building packed with flammable medical products created conditions that made the fire almost impossible to control once it took hold.
Fire Chief Randall Bradley said: "A 1 million square foot fire is an extremely rare fire, not only in California but in the United States, and so, this is a unique fire for us and we expect to be here for a couple of days."
The blaze spread from the Medline warehouse to a FedEx building across the way, with spot fires reported in the surrounding area of Schulte Road and Larch Road.
All 120 employees were safely evacuated as of 4 PM Thursday. No injuries have been reported.
Nearby buildings including a FedEx facility were evacuated as firefighters worked to prevent the blaze from spreading further.
Promontory Parkway was closed and traffic on Interstate 580 was significantly impacted as the massive column of black smoke from the fire blanketed the surrounding area.
Medline Industries is described as the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States.
The company ships critical medical products — surgical supplies, personal protective equipment, wound care products, patient care items and hundreds of other essential healthcare materials — to hospitals, nursing homes, surgery centers and healthcare facilities across the country every single day.
The destruction of the Tracy distribution center — a key hub in Medline's national supply chain — raises serious questions about the company's ability to maintain supply levels to its healthcare customers in the coming days and weeks.
A Medline spokesperson confirmed the fire and said: "Medline can confirm a fire is occurring at our Tracy, California distribution facility. All Medline employees and on-site personnel are accounted for. The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. We are coordinating closely with local authorities."
As of Thursday night, it was still unknown what started the fire. Officials said they were in the process of reviewing the products that were housed inside the facility at the time of the fire.
The failure of the building's sprinkler system is expected to be a key focus of the investigation — both in terms of whether it contributed to the fire's spread and whether proper maintenance protocols were followed.
The fire is expected to burn for days. Investigators will work to determine the cause once it is safe to enter the site. And healthcare administrators across the country will be monitoring Medline's communications closely for any indication that critical medical supply chains may be disrupted.
DeSanta News will continue to update this story as the fire develops and more information becomes available.
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