BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Texas A&M researchers and local fire officials are working to get ahead of the fire risks posed by the rapid growth of data centers across the state.
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The rise of AI is driving a massive boom in data centers across Texas — and as these facilities grow, so do concerns about fire safety.
At Texas A&M, chemical engineering professor Sam Wang and his research team are studying how fires can start, spread, and escalate inside these massive facilities. Wang said data centers store huge amounts of energy through large battery systems — and if something goes wrong, that energy can quickly turn dangerous.
"If those energy released suddenly, we will have fire, or if even faster there will be an explosion," Wang said.
Wang said the risks extend beyond the facilities themselves.
"When we build that, we should think about safety, think about risk, think about the community, not just the profit or business," Wang said.
As more data centers appear, fire officials say they are already preparing for the challenges that could come with them. One of the biggest concerns is something firefighters call a "thermal runaway."
"When one cell catches fire or it gets hot enough it can catch the next cell on fire and it basically starts into a cascade system," Bryan Fire Department's Chris Lamb said.
Lamb said early detection and preparation are key.
"Being prepared is super important," Lamb said. "Making sure that they have the safety precautions in place to where it never even really becomes an issue because it's detected early."
To stay ahead of those risks, local fire crews work with developers and fire marshals before these facilities ever open. They study building layouts, learn the safety systems, and prepare response plans before an emergency ever happens.
"You only have one option, and that is to go with it and to train for it and to be knowledgeable about it and to make it safe," Lamb said.
Wang said he hopes the research helps raise awareness about the risks — and continues pushing for safer design and better protection for the community.
More information about the study can be found here.
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