Public health officials are warning residents in San Joaquin County to take precautions after toxic chemicals were set ablaze at a massive warehouse fire in Tracy that began on Thursday. Thirty-five engines and 120 firefighting personnel responded to the inferno at the million-square-foot warehouse, authorities said. The fire gave off smoke so intense it could briefly be seen in space by NOAA satellites.
San Joaquin County officials cautioned residents to remain indoors with the windows and doors shut if smoke is in the area, as the warehouse, which housed medical supplies for the company Medline, contained toxic materials and dangerous chemicals.
“Among the chemicals that were consumed in the Medline fire were an assortment of respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens, and at least one neurotoxin,” Dr. Maggie Park, public health officer for San Joaquin County Public Health Services, said in a statement. “If anyone in the vicinity of the smoke plumes inhaled the smoke and is experiencing sudden onset respiratory problems, headaches, dizziness, nausea, or throat irritation, they should report to their nearest emergency department for further evaluation and treatment.”
Onshore winds are expected to push smoke from the massive fire southward. Jamie Holt, the chief communications officer for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, told SFGATE as of Friday morning the smoke is not currently causing poor air quality as it remains aloft and suspended in the atmosphere…