Between 2017 and 2021, United States (U.S.) fire departments responded to an estimated average of 4,440 fires in structures under construction per year. These fires caused an annual average of five civilian deaths, 59 civilian injuries and $370 million in direct property damage.
Since then, the risk landscape has evolved. Data centers have experienced significant AI-driven growth, accelerating rapidly from 2023 onward. As a result, construction sites have grown dramatically in size and complexity, as data centers have become the foundation of the digital infrastructure that powers the modern economy.
In 2024, there were 5,388 data centers in the U.S. - the most of any country worldwide and ten times more than China and most European countries - with a third of these located in just three states: Virginia (643), Texas (395) and California (319). At the end of 2025, nearly 3,000 were reported as planned or under construction.
In April last year, two people were hospitalized after a minor fire at the $11 billion Amazon data center construction site in New Carlisle, Indiana. At this level of investment, insurance exposure is significant and inadequate fire risk controls can lead to higher premiums, coverage restrictions or costly project delays.
While older facilities, built when the sector was still in its infancy, often spanned tens of thousands of square feet, modern megasites routinely exceed 500,000 square feet, with workforces of at least 850 employees and budgets frequently approaching $1 billion over construction periods of five years.
Once concentrated in urban hubs, these facilities are increasingly being built nearby to small towns and in rural regions across the U.S., yet they all face the same distinct risks - from protecting people up to a quarter mile away to preparing for active shooter incidents and maintaining clear communication across large construction zones.
The cost of neglecting safety
Industry attitudes remain one of the most significant barriers to effective safety on modern data center construction sites. Many owners and contractors default to minimum code compliance, prioritizing short-term cost savings over comprehensive safety measures. When the scale of risk is this high, treating safety as a cost rather than a core project value is a dangerous miscalculation.
Ironically, the very investments that could prevent catastrophic losses - from robust temporary fire protection to continuous monitoring systems - are often the first items cut when budgets are tight or schedules are accelerated. This mindset can leave megasites vulnerable to incidents that could have been prevented with proactive planning.
The combination of human density, complex logistics and high-risk equipment makes comprehensive planning essential rather than optional. The sheer size of modern data center construction sites introduces unique operational and safety challenges. Extensive high-voltage infrastructure, large-scale generators and temporary lithium-ion battery storage during construction further elevate fire risk early in the build, meaning a single incident can ripple outward with far-reaching consequences.
From financial loss and operational disruption to human injury and reputational damage, the cost of inaction is simply too high to ignore. Ensuring robust safety protocols, clear ownership and continuous vigilance is no longer optional - it is an essential component of responsible project management in today’s high-stakes data center landscape.
Evolving regulatory frameworks
Regulatory frameworks are gradually evolving to address the unique challenges of modern construction megasites. While there are currently no fire safety regulations specific to data centers, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards provide comprehensive guidance for fire prevention, detection and suppression across all types of construction environments.
NFPA 241, in particular, focuses on construction, alteration and demolition activities, providing detailed requirements for temporary fire protection during the most vulnerable phases of a project. The 2022 edition strengthened Fire Prevention Program requirements, clarified the roles and responsibilities of owners, contractors and designated Fire Prevention Program Managers (FPPMs), as well as introducing provisions for temporary protection systems that can be scaled to sites of any size.
The forthcoming 2026 update is expected to further strengthen requirements for temporary fire protection, reinforce the role of Fire Prevention Program Managers and place greater emphasis on after-hours protection, site security and closer alignment with other NFPA codes – all directly relevant to large, complex data center construction sites.
These updates highlight a fundamental shift: fire prevention is no longer simply a regulatory checkbox or a responsibility left to local authorities or inspectors. On large, complex sites, ownership of fire safety is now an active, ongoing duty that falls squarely on project leaders, contractors and appointed FPPMs, requiring investment, training and proactive management from day one.
Implementing modern technology
To address the complex and evolving risks of modern construction megasites, the adoption of advanced wireless and IoT-connected fire safety systems has become essential. Traditional approaches - such as fire watches or air horns - rely heavily on human vigilance and are inherently limited. They are often unreliable in extreme weather, difficult to scale across sites and prone to delays or errors.
In contrast, modern technology provides continuous, auditable monitoring and early warning capabilities that can cover every corner of a high-risk construction environment, both during working hours and after-hours when the risk of fire or arson is greatest. Designed for rapid deployment, these systems can protect hundreds of thousands of square feet within days, automatically logging the exact location and cause of every alarm.
This real-time data allows site teams to respond immediately, preventing small incidents from escalating into catastrophic events. It also generates detailed records that can be analyzed to inform targeted prevention programs, track recurring risks and refine site-wide safety strategies. As a result, it extends far beyond simply alerting personnel to flames.
On megasites, these systems can coordinate alerts across vast distances, support efficient evacuations and integrate directly with first responders. For instance, alarms can be relayed to central monitoring centers via cellular or IP-based communications, enabling rapid escalation and coordinated response across large and geographically dispersed construction zones.
From reactive to proactive prevention
In data centers and large-scale infrastructure projects, where downtime can cost millions per day, early detection and rapid intervention are not just life-saving - they are essential risk management. As a result, technology-enabled fire safety delivers both operational and financial benefits for data center construction sites.
Gone are the days when data centers were a simple build; now, they are a high-stakes ecosystem where fire risks are as complex as the technology that will eventually be inside once construction is complete. The industry must move from reactive compliance to proactive prevention by leveraging technology, standardized codes and clear ownership.
Modern risks - lithium-ion storage, energized electrical systems, sheer site scale and personnel safety hundreds of yards away - demand modern solutions. Sites must ensure real-time monitoring, integrated communications and competent FPPMs capable of managing risk across these sprawling environments.
To truly safeguard people and assets, every strategy must be deliberate, coordinated and consistently enforced. In the face of growing complexity, no site should be left unprotected and no life or investment should be left at risk. Data center construction teams must standardize, train, implement - and never leave safety to chance.
For more information about Ramtech, please visit www.ramtechglobal.com.
ENDS
For more information, please contact ramtech@cartwrightagency.com.
Notes to editors:
About Ramtech
Ramtech designs and develops industry-leading end to end Internet of Things (IoT) and innovative wireless solutions to suit a variety of different industries, including construction and holiday parks. Its wide-ranging communications and hardware expertise has been developed for more than 30 years. Ramtech’s solutions – which are used across almost 30 countries worldwide – provide businesses with improved safety, security, operational efficiency, data insight, profitability, and more.
