Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP today filed a lawsuit in San Joaquin Superior Court on behalf of Senthil Velu, a homeowner in the new Ellis subdivision of Tracy, California, who was injured and traumatized by toxic contaminants released during the Tracy warehouse fire on June 11, 2026. The complaint names Medline Industries, Inc., and Prologis, Inc., respectively the tenant and owner of the million square foot medical goods warehouse, and asserts causes of action for negligence, nuisance, and trespass. According to the complaint, both defendants were negligent in their operations and maintenance at the warehouse. As a result, a fire started inside the warehouse and then was allowed to spread rapidly because fire suppression equipment failed to operate. The entire million square foot structure was engulfed in flames within 30 minutes of ignition. When firefighters arrived, they found that the internal hydrants lacked water pressure, forcing crews to connect to street hydrants. Reportedly, the overhead sprinklers inside the warehouse also failed to activate. These failures of essential equipment significantly impacted initial firefighting operations. The warehouse’s fire suppression equipment had purportedly been inspected and passed all checks just 6 months before, although neither Medline nor Prologis have released details on that testing. It took firefighters almost a week to extinguish the fire. During this time, the community was exposed to toxic smoke, and debris and ash rained down upon homes and parks. Residents were told to shelter in place with windows closed during this time and to avoid contact with the fire’s toxic byproducts. Many Tracy residents, including Mr. Velu, became ill and had to seek medical attention because of the fire. Plaintiff seeks compensation for both his physical and emotional injuries as well as property damage.
“Communities have a right to expect that corporations operating in their midst will have in place basic safety mechanisms to prevent catastrophic fires like what they experienced at this facility. While investigation of the fire’s causes remains ongoing, the information we uncovered to date points to a wholesale failure of the warehouse fire suppression system and necessary water supply. The predictable result was that community members were subjected to days of toxic smoke and debris raining down upon their homes and property.”
Julie Fieber, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP.
“This catastrophe was preventable. Ignoring basic fire safety caused this result and led to serious health consequences for our clients and harm to their property.”
Katherine Ammirati, an attorney at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP.
