Data Center Fires Doubled While the Reporting Thinned, in a Bite

The public record of data center fires is getting longer and less specific at the same time.

• The Energy Incident Register counts 8 incidents in 2024, 20 in 2025 and 19 so far this year, out of 93 entries going back to 2010.
• UPS and battery rooms are the most frequently named component at 22 entries, then backup generators at 15.
• 53 of the 93 entries never name a component at all, and Uptime Institute ties rising major fires to lithium-ion batteries in UPS systems.

Strip out the 53 unnamed cases and there is not enough detail left to compare battery chemistries, UPS makers or commissioning practice across sites. The build-out is adding capacity faster than it is adding published causes.

Read the full analysis for the three questions to ask your own sites.