Residents in Tracy are voicing concerns about air quality and potential health risks after the Medline warehouse fire left smoke and debris in the area. Walking around the city, debris from the fire can still be seen scattered on the ground. “We have absolutely no clue what it is,” said Muralikrishnan Raghavan, expressing concern about the debris. While debris can be avoided or removed with gloves, fumes in the air are harder to escape. “If this is going to continue, it’s not a safe place for us to live,” said Vamsikrishna Sadhu. Raghavan added, “I was out to Costco this morning and it was smoke all over the place.” With uncertainty about how long the smoke will linger or whether it is toxic, residents like Ashley Farnsworth are relying on their sense of smell for answers. “It’s like a plasticky, chemically enhanced smell,” Farnsworth said. According to a Facebook post by the Office of Emergency Services, chemicals from the fire include respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens, and at least one neurotoxin. Sadhu, who has a three-month-old baby, shared his concerns about the impact on his family. “We have a three-month-old baby, and we couldn’t even come out […] Even in the night, it’s the only thing that we were smelling is the smoke,” he said. Families are particularly worried about how the smoke might affect children’s health. “She has severe asthma, so this is like, her first time being out since the fire started,” Farnsworth said, referring to her child. The Valley Air District said in a press release that fire smoke contains pollutants that can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate bronchitis, and increase the risk of other health issues. KCRA 3 reached out to the Valley Air District for more information but have not heard back. Michael Kleeman, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, explained the potential dangers of the smoke. “When it burns it isn’t just producing the same type of particle in the atmosphere, it’s producing things that contain traces of metal and the byproducts of burning plastics and the byproducts of other things that are potentially toxic,” Kleeman said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Residents in Tracy are voicing concerns about air quality and potential health risks after the Medline warehouse fire left smoke and debris in the area.
Walking around the city, debris from the fire can still be seen scattered on the ground.
“We have absolutely no clue what it is,” said Muralikrishnan Raghavan, expressing concern about the debris.
While debris can be avoided or removed with gloves, fumes in the air are harder to escape.
“If this is going to continue, it’s not a safe place for us to live,” said Vamsikrishna Sadhu.
Raghavan added, “I was out to Costco this morning and it was smoke all over the place.”
With uncertainty about how long the smoke will linger or whether it is toxic, residents like Ashley Farnsworth are relying on their sense of smell for answers.
“It’s like a plasticky, chemically enhanced smell,” Farnsworth said.
According to a Facebook post by the Office of Emergency Services, chemicals from the fire include respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens, and at least one neurotoxin.
Sadhu, who has a three-month-old baby, shared his concerns about the impact on his family.
“We have a three-month-old baby, and we couldn’t even come out […] Even in the night, it’s the only thing that we were smelling is the smoke,” he said.
Families are particularly worried about how the smoke might affect children’s health.
“She has severe asthma, so this is like, her first time being out since the fire started,” Farnsworth said, referring to her child.
The Valley Air District said in a press release that fire smoke contains pollutants that can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate bronchitis, and increase the risk of other health issues.
KCRA 3 reached out to the Valley Air District for more information but have not heard back.
Michael Kleeman, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, explained the potential dangers of the smoke.
“When it burns it isn’t just producing the same type of particle in the atmosphere, it’s producing things that contain traces of metal and the byproducts of burning plastics and the byproducts of other things that are potentially toxic,” Kleeman said.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel