Blaze at 1m-sq-ft California warehouse rages into third day: ‘We’re struggling’

California firefighters continued to battle a blaze on Saturday that had engulfed a roughly 1m sq ft warehouse, causing officials to warn residents over unhealthy air quality.

The fire has been raging at the medical supplier Medline Industries’ warehouse in Tracy, a city of more than 100,000 residents located about 55 miles (90km) east of San Francisco. Officials expect to be battling the fire for a few more days.

The cause and origin of the fire remains unknown. Law enforcement is undergoing an investigation, according to the South San Joaquin county fire authority. No injuries have been reported.

“We’re struggling a little bit to get to the seed of the fire,” said fire chief Randall Bradley at a Saturday press conference. “At some point, we’re hoping to secure the walls that haven’t fallen yet. And to get in and start moving some of the debris around so we can really get water into the seed of the fire.”

“We’re making some progress – but it’s slow,” he said.

Previously, officials said that the firefight had been hampered by a sprinkler system that appeared to be broken and low water pressure in hydrants. A spokesperson for Medline did not immediately respond to a Saturday request for comment regarding the warehouse’s water infrastructure.

About 5,000 gallons of water per minute have been expended to combat the flames, Bradley said.

Heavy smoke is expected to be in the area for the next few days, but Bradley noted the plumes had dissipated since its Thursday outbreak.

Officials advised residents, particularly those who are vulnerable to poor air quality, to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed.

Officials have also warned residents to steer clear of debris, which could contain hazardous materials, according to KCRA, an NBC affiliate in Sacramento.

The warehouse is set for demolition, Bradley said. A new facility is expected to be built over the site, as it is a key location for distribution, according to Bradley.

Medline supplies gloves, surgical masks and medical apparel, among other products.

A spokesperson for Medline said on Saturday that the “vast majority of order lines” had been rerouted to other distribution centers.

“We have also boosted regional staffing, regional inventory and transportation capacity through increased use of MedTrans trucks, third-party carriers, and truck relay operations to accelerate product movement throughout the impacted region,” the spokesperson also said.

Fire authorities are also coordinating with Medline personnel to retrieve vehicles left behind by employees when they evacuated. The company spokesperson said they are identifying work opportunities “in the near term” for the affected employees.