A data center site outside Amarillo in Texas had to be evacuated after a grass fire broke out nearby.

The Texas A&M Forest Service reported a fire near Claude in Armstrong County yesterday (March 18) around 8pm local time. The Forest Service named it the Bright Lights Fire.

Friends of the Armstrong County Fire Departments reported that a data center near Highway 207 had been evacuated due to heavy smoke from the fire.

The Texas A&M Forest Service estimated it had burned 250 acres so far and was 40 percent contained, according to the last update yesterday evening, but had stopped spreading.

“Retardant dropped from aircraft is helping to hold the fire while heavy equipment and engines work to secure the area,” the Forest Service said.

Local press, including the Amarillo Global-News, ABC, and News Channel 10, reported that the fire started around 4pm local time after a vehicle crashed near Mulberry Creek. Local police confirmed that the single-car crash was the cause of the fire, and one man has been arrested.

Local reports don’t name the data center in question, but Crusoe is known to be developing a facility in Claude. DCD has reached out to Crusoe for more details.

Update: A Crusoe spokesperson told DCD: "The safety of our employees and contractors is our highest priority. Yesterday, a fire near our data center construction site outside of Claude, Texas, prompted a partial evacuation as a precautionary measure. All personnel were accounted for, and there were no reported injuries. Construction has since resumed and remains on track. We are grateful for the swift response of local emergency services."

Crusoe affiliate GN DC1, LLC is developing Project Llano at 10001 Lima Road in Claude. The project, set to go live in phases from August 2026 to February 2027, is set to span at least six single-story buildings.

According to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, four of the buildings will span 805,380 sq ft (74,822 sqm) each, while two are set to total 484,955 sq ft (45,054 sqm) each.

Google has also announced plans to develop in Armstrong County, but it is unclear if the search company has moved beyond the planning stage on any projects in the county.