Principles of Data Center Fire Protection Systems for Battery Thermal Runaway Response and Service Continuity

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Data center fire protection is not merely a legal obligation but an availability infrastructure, serving as the last line of defense against service outages caused by battery thermal runaway and power failures.
In the 2022 Pango and 2025 Daejeon fire incidents, service interruptions caused by power cutoffs and thermal runaway resulted in greater damage than flame suppression efforts.
Server rooms apply aspiration smoke detection (ASD), gas-based extinguishing, and pre-action sprinklers to avoid water damage, while battery rooms are trending toward separation by fire-resistant partitions and the concurrent use of water-based systems.
Gas-based extinguishing allows for restart due to the absence of residue but has limitations in suppressing thermal runaway, leading to the adoption of next-generation technologies such as Water Mist and the transition to LFP batteries.
During construction, fire compartment fire resistance, airtightness of protection zones (door fan testing), and dual verification using cross-circuit (AND) logic to prevent false alarms are essential.
Alongside statutory inspections, decision-making training on 'when to cut power' and the establishment of redundancy systems are the core of actual fire response.

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