Second fire in weeks raises concerns at Chesterfield data center

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Chesterfield County firefighters spent hours at Chirisa Technology Park on Monday after officials said flames broke out inside a room in the data center, marking the second fire there in less than three weeks.

"We really have kind of jumped the gun, or done something that is not fully panning out," said University of Richmond professor Mary Finley-Brook. "What the overall need will be to make sure that we’re progressing in a safe and responsible way."

She noted that such fires are becoming more common as data center developments continue expanding across Virginia, with Chesterfield seeing multiple proposals in recent months.

"What research is suggesting is that there needs to be changes done now to be proactive," she added.

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Chesterfield fire officials said the fire on Monday, Sept. 8 was contained to a battery room by the center’s sprinkler system. The fire was the second Chirisa Technology Park has seen in just three weeks and the fourth incident this year.

Virginia Commonwealth University professor Milos Manic, who also studies data centers, said the risks go beyond immediate damage.

"There’s a multitude of risks -- of course, the loss of equipment is the immediate one that comes to mind, but the one that is a little bit latent or hidden: there is the reputation of risk," Manic said.

He explained the issue with an analogy: If a doctor kept misdiagnosing you, would you want to keep going back?

Likewise, he questioned whether people would trust a data center that repeatedly catches fire to safeguard their information.

"Data can be lost," Manic said. "In this case, the expense that comes with collecting that data is huge. In some instances, that data is really irreplaceable."