Fire protection for AI data centers

AI data centers run on oil-filled transformers, and a transformer fire can take a campus offline for as long as a replacement takes to arrive. Dryfoam protects transformer catch basins and on-site fuel storage passively: a layer of engineered beads keeps leaked oil and stored fuel from igniting, with no water, piping, pumps, power or detection to fail.

What's the fire risk at a data center?

The oil-filled transformers that feed heavy AI loads hold large volumes of oil. If one leaks and ignites, the outage lasts as long as the repair, and 2024 quotes for replacement power transformers ranged from 1.5 to 4 years, according to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. After the March 2025 substation fire that cut power to Heathrow Airport, reviews of the UK's critical infrastructure focused particularly on data centers and electrical networks.

Where does Dryfoam go on a campus?

Transformer catch basins across the campus (transformer fire protection)
Fixed fuel storage tanks: Dryfoam's UL listing covers full-surface fires in fixed flammable and combustible liquid tanks (listing details)
Sumps and temporary containment

Why passive protection suits data centers

Nothing to fail. The beads sit on the liquid all the time; there's no detection, power or discharge to trigger.
No water. Nothing is sprayed near electrical equipment, and it suits arid locations.
No downtime to install. Near Heathrow, Dryfoam went under live transformers in less than an hour each, with zero downtime (case study).
A stronger risk story. Continuous, passive protection is something to show insurers and stakeholders who are scrutinizing transformer fire risk.

How does it work?

Flammable liquids don't burn; the vapors above them do. The bead layer suppresses those vapors, and if flame reaches the surface, the top beads form a sacrificial crust that protects the beads and liquid beneath. In independent tests at Southwest Research Institute, a six-inch layer cut the evaporation rate of acetone by up to 98.7% in moving air, and by about 91–93% for heptane and acetone across tank sizes.