Nebraska fires spark baseless theories about data center 'land grabs'

The largest wildfires in Nebraska's history, which occurred in March 2026, have sparked widespread conspiracy theories online. These theories, shared by individuals like "digital creator" Rob Anderson, baselessly claim the fires were intentionally set to clear land for new data centers, specifically near the Ogallala Aquifer, the country's largest. The posts suggest a "land grab" for data center development. However, wildfire and climate experts, including Terry Baker of the Society of American Foresters, debunked these claims, attributing the infernos to unusually high temperatures, dry conditions, high winds, and often accidental human causes, such as electrical wires or discarded cigarette butts. Governor Jim Pillen indicated that the largest blaze in Morrill County, spanning over 600,000 acres, is believed to have been electrical in nature. Academics, like Yale's Kenneth Gillingham, emphasized that there's no need for fires to build data centers. The article notes that while new data center development, including a large Google facility that would include a private natural gas plant, has been discussed in Nebraska, there is no evidence linking these plans to the wildfires. Google currently operates data centers in Lincoln, Omaha, and Papillion. The conspiratorial posts are correct in highlighting that such projects do strain water resources, with scientists warning about a looming water-scarcity problem exacerbated by the expansion of data centers for AI development, particularly concerning the vital Ogallala Aquifer.