Fire at Oregon’s X Data Center: Power Cabinet Suspected as Cheeky Culprit, Confirm Authorities
“X Data Center Fire in Oregon Started Inside Power Cabinet, Authorities Say”
“The fire that ignited inside a Facebook-owned data center in Oregon on November 5 began in a power distribution cabinet, according to local fire officials.” If this doesn’t sound like the opening scene to a dramatic, catastrophic blockbuster, it’s not clear what does.
Speaking of horrifying scenes, an inferno sparking from a pretty essential piece of hardware is not exactly what the tech-world fantasizes about. But sadly, the technological utopia we dream of doesn’t entail machines that are fireproof… yet.
Imagine—to think it was a humble power distribution cabinet, a piece of equipment that should strive to be as unnoticed as possible, stepping into the limelight in such a fiery fashion. Local officials have confirmed that the blaze originated right there – sounds riveting, doesn’t it?
And it’s not like the Prineville, Oregon authorities had to end the suspense too soon for the curious lot. Leaving no stone unturned, they took nearly two weeks to confirm the source of the blaze. The thrill of the investigation clearly has overshadowed the urgency of confirming safety measures, it seems.
Oh, it gets better. From assurances provided by Facebook, no one was in the building at the time of the outbreak, making it straight out of an abandoned haunted tech building movie. And guess what? The fire suppression systems, whispers Facebook, “worked as they were designed to.”
It’s just like when you’re told that the parachutes “worked as they were designed to” after a plane jumps out of the sky. Personally, we tend to prefer scenarios where such systems aren’t employed in the first place.
But don’t fret, it’s not all escalation and destruction. Apparently, Facebook isn’t new to things heating up in unexpected ways. From solar-powered drones combusting during test flights to server-storing shipping containers catching fire post-transport, it sounds like they’ve dealt with flames dancing in places where they absolutely shouldn’t be.
To the relief of everyone involved (and everyone on Facebook), the building where the fire occurred was merely under construction. Stage one, as they call it in the world of constructing behemoth data centers. It’s like having a housewarming party, but the house is literally warming, and the guests are firefighters.
Conclusively, while no one was harmed, and no data was lost, it’s a sizzling reminder of just how unpredictable technology can be. Despite the sprinkle of sarcasm lacing every sentence, safety is no laughing matter. Remember, a power distribution cabinet is for distributing power, not for sparking an unforgettable fire show.