In early June, a fire broke out in a still-unfinished building at the Lake Mariner data center in Somerset, New York, exposing how little the local fire department knew about the site. Firefighters found no working alarm, no suppression system, and three dead hydrants; safety documents they are legally entitled to see reportedly burned in the blaze. Steve Matisz, chief of the Barker Fire Department, said his crew went in “kind of blind,” facing heavy black smoke from unidentified chemicals.

The $3.2 billion campus, one of the largest AI data center buildouts in New York, has many stakeholders: Tera Wulf owns and operates the facility on land leased from a company owned by its CEO; Fluidstack, a UK-based AI company, will run the center; Google holds warrants for a future 14 percent equity stake and guarantees Fluidstack’s lease payments; and Anthropic is among the AI companies whose compute demand the facility serves. Tera Wulf stated it is responsible for operational safety and emergency preparedness, including safety systems and coordination with first responders. Kerri Langlais, the company’s chief strategy officer, said they implemented Knox boxes, additional hydrants, and safety data sheet “go-bags” after an after-action review.

Matisz noted a Knox box representative had visited and a meeting was scheduled, but hydrants remained dry. The fire did not slow construction, and no one was hurt. However, the incident highlights a diffuse responsibility model across the AI buildout boom—legal, operational, financial, and reputational duties are split among entities.

Somerset wanted more answers from Tera Wulf after the fire, but the company’s communications team remained unresponsive to community requests, including from Jeffrey Dewart, the Somerset town supervisor. Residents have questioned what the town receives in return for hosting the project. According to a 2024 planning board presentation, Tera Wulf’s project manager said the full buildout would bring 35 to 40 jobs, far below the 165 permanent jobs and $85 million in capital investment promised in 2019 by Somerset Operating Company, the landlord entity owned by Tera Wulf CEO Paul Prager.

Prager did not respond to a comment request on the discrepancy. The New York Power Authority reviews compliance annually and can adjust benefits if commitments aren’t met. New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently placed a moratorium on hyperscale...