Based on the initial findings of the technical investigation, NorthC has provided clarity on the recovery time following the fire at the Almere data center. Installing emergency power supplies, generators, UPS systems, and distribution panels, plus laying over a kilometer of cable, is expected to take up to 72 hours.
On Thursday, May 7, a fire broke out around 8:45 a.m. at the rear of the NorthC data center on Rondebeltweg in Almere. The fire department initially escalated the response to a GRIP 1 situation. All employees were evacuated in a timely manner. During the night of May 7–8, the situation was downgraded to GRIP 0, indicating that emergency services have it fully under control.
After initial inspections, it appeared that smoke development in the server rooms remained limited thanks to the fire separation in place. The damage is concentrated in the technical facilities at the rear of the building, where the power supply and other equipment are housed.
Complex restoration operation
NorthC must install a large number of generators, UPS systems, and distribution panels, and also lay over a kilometer of cable. This makes the entire operation complex. Customer equipment will then be gradually reconnected to power and cooling.
The consequences of the fire were widely felt yesterday. For example, Utrecht University closed its doors on Friday, public transport operator Transdev faced communication issues, and the Chamber of Commerce and Statistics Netherlands (CBS), among others, experienced disruptions. At Flevo Hospital, however, patient care continued as usual, as it deliberately operates with multiple data centers.