Data centers have historically maintained a strong fire safety record, but the risk profile is changing as AI infrastructure scales.
Recent research from Texas A&M University, George Washington University and the University of California, Berkeley, found that fire-incident risk across modern data centers is rising rapidly, driven in part by increasing power density and energy-storage demands. As facilities expand and workloads intensify, they rely more heavily on battery systems and backup generation, particularly lithium-ion technologies, which introduce new fire hazards.
“Modern data centers store enormous amounts of electrical energy, which means failures can escalate quickly if not properly controlled,” said chemical engineering Ph.D. student Tylee Kareck, one of the paper’s authors. “While addressing individual causes can reduce risk, holistic fire prevention and mitigation efforts are necessary to properly protect infrastructure.”
That holistic approach does not stop at suppression systems or monitoring technologies. It extends to the building envelope itself. Insulated metal panels (IMPs) serve as fire-resistant exterior assemblies that enable compartmentalization, helping contain fire events within defined zones rather than allowing them to spread throughout the facility.
Researchers have found that fires can originate from multiple sources in data centers, including battery failures, electrical faults such as arc flashes, equipment malfunction and human error.
A Texas A&M University College of Engineering article identified several compounding hazards. Large battery banks and high power density increase the risk of thermal runaway, a chain reaction that can cause batteries to ignite or explode. Fire causes can also overlap. Human error may trigger arc flashes that ignite surrounding components, while arc flashes can occur independently through short circuits.
“As the demand for cloud computing and AI grows, fire safety must evolve alongside data center technology,” said Dr. Qingsheng Wang, a co-author of the study.
Data-center design adds further complexity. Hot-aisle/cold-aisle configurations and raised floors create airflow pathways that can accelerate the spread of smoke and flame in ways not typically seen in standard commercial buildings.
The unique nature of data centers means the physical structure may be the least expensive asset at risk in a fire event. Data loss, service-level agreement violations and reputational damage can far exceed the cost of the building itself.
Modern data centers are deliberately zoned, with server halls, power rooms, cooling plants and mechanical spaces each representing distinct fire risks and assets to protect.
Fire-rated construction serves two related purposes in this environment. The first is preventing external fire from entering the building, an increasingly relevant concern as wildfire risk grows in many regions. The second is containing a fire event within its zone of origin so that an incident in one area does not compromise the rest of the facility.
IMPs are well suited to both roles. Unlike site-built assemblies, where field variability can affect barrier integrity, IMPs are factory-engineered for consistent fire performance across joints and seams. This reduces the risk of insulation gaps and installation inconsistencies, resulting in a more controlled and repeatable assembly that performs as specified.
Data–center fire protection is governed by two key NFPA standards. NFPA 75, the Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment, addresses fire protection requirements for IT equipment and the spaces that house it. NFPA 76 covers telecommunications facilities with a similar intent. Together, these standards establish baseline expectations for fire-rated construction, suppression systems and detection in data-center environments.
Wall assemblies used in data-center construction may also be subject to NFPA 285, which evaluates fire propagation characteristics of exterior non-load-bearing wall assemblies containing combustible components. This standard is directly relevant to compartmentalization, where the goal is not only to resist ignition but to limit how far fire can travel across or through a wall system.
Beyond code compliance, IMP selection for data-center applications comes down to several critical factors:
Core material is a primary driver of fire performance. Not all IMP cores behave the same under fire conditions. Mineral wool, also called stone wool, provides greater fire resistance than polyisocyanurate or expanded polystyrene cores. In high-heat scenarios, mineral wool maintains structural integrity longer and does not contribute fuel to a fire.
Third-party certification provides independent verification. Green Span Profiles’ IMP systems carry the FM 4880 Factory Mutual Class 1 fire rating, one of the most widely recognized certifications in commercial construction. This rating applies to both wall and roof or ceiling assemblies, supporting consistent, verified performance across the building envelope. Wall and roof systems also meet ASTM E84 requirements for surface burning characteristics, including flame spread and smoke development.
Joint and seam continuity is a common vulnerability. A fire-rated assembly is only as strong as its weakest point. Panel-to-panel connections and penetrations are where field-assembled systems often fall short. Specifying panels with tested joint assemblies and ensuring installation follows those tested configurations is essential to maintaining the rated barrier.
Wall and roof assemblies have different exposure conditions. Roof systems experience different thermal and fire dynamics than wall panels and should be specified accordingly. A panel suitable for a wall application may not carry the same rating in a roof assembly, a distinction that Green Span’s tested and listed assemblies are engineered to address.
Coordination with suppression system design is critical. IMPs should be specified in coordination with fire-suppression strategies, not in isolation. This is especially important in battery energy storage system (BESS) areas. Research has found that water-based suppression methods, while widely used for their availability and cooling capacity, can in some instances worsen lithium-ion battery fires due to water’s electrical conductivity and may not effectively cool batteries during intense thermal runaway events. The interaction between the panel system and suppression response can significantly influence overall fire performance.
The financial impact of a data-center fire extends well beyond the cost of the physical structure. Downtime, data loss, service-level agreement violations and reputational damage can quickly exceed structural repair costs and insurers are taking notice. Underwriters are increasingly attentive to fire risk in data center facilities, particularly those housing large battery energy storage systems and fire-rated construction can influence both coverage terms and premium calculations.
For hyperscale and colocation operators, the calculus is similarly clear. Enterprise clients expect a demonstrated commitment to uptime and infrastructure protection and fire-resistant construction is now part of that expectation.
IMPs offer a practical path to meeting these demands. Factory-engineered for consistent performance and tested to standards including FM 4880, NFPA 285 and ASTM E84, Green Span Profiles’ IMP systems support compartmentalization while delivering fire resistance, thermal performance and installation efficiency in a single assembly.
As AI infrastructure continues to scale and power density increases, the fire-risk profile of data centers will only become more complex. Addressing fire performance at the building envelope level is one of the more direct and effective ways to mitigate that risk.
To learn more about Green Span Profiles’ fire-rated IMP systems for data center applications, contact the Green Span team today.