A fire at the construction site of Amazon's $11 billion AWS data center in New Carlisle, Indiana, left two workers hospitalized on Thursday morning.

The incident occurred at the SBN AWS Building 104 on Edison Road, New Carlisle. According to reports, firefighters were called to the scene after two workers sustained injuries in what was initially believed to be a construction accident. Upon arrival, fire crews discovered a significant amount of smoke billowing from one of the buildings at the construction site.

A spokesperson for the New Carlisle Fire Department informed local news outlet WNDU that firefighters found smoke filling the building and its surrounding area. While the area had been evacuated, the two workers were airlifted to nearby hospitals due to the severity of their injuries.

Interestingly, fire crews confirmed that no active fire was found at the site, but investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.

The construction site, which Amazon has been working on since October 2024, is part of the tech giant's ambitious $11 billion data center project. The data center will be used for Amazon Web Services (AWS) and is a key part of Amazon’s cloud computing infrastructure. The construction of this vast campus, expected to include 22 buildings once completed, is projected to take nearly a decade. The data center will also bring significant economic benefits to the region, including an estimated 1,000 jobs upon full completion.

Amazon's AWS division issued a statement, saying, "A small fire at the construction site of a non-operational facility was quickly contained today. Safety is our top priority, and we’re thankful to local first responders for their swift action."

Though the project remains on schedule, this incident has raised concerns regarding the safety protocols in place on the high-stakes construction site. Both local authorities and Amazon's safety team are reviewing the event to ensure such incidents do not occur again in the future.

The AWS data center project is a massive endeavor, involving cutting-edge technology and significant investment. Once fully operational, it is expected to contribute substantially to the growth of the cloud services sector and solidify Amazon’s presence in the region.

As construction continues, Amazon remains focused on ensuring the safety of all its workers while advancing its broader infrastructure goals. Local emergency teams have been commended for their quick response, which undoubtedly helped mitigate what could have been a much worse situation.

Originally reported by Matthew Gooding in Data Center Dynamics.