IBM Building Fire Linked To TikTok Trend In New York

A suspicious fire at the vacant IBM facility in the Hudson Valley is likely connected to a growing, dangerous social media trend.

A vague press release from New York State police about a fire in the Hudson Valley just got a lot more interesting.

Suspicious Fire At The Abandoned IBM Building? Police Think It's Connected To A Viral Trend

Earlier this week, New York State Police issued a warning about a growing trend of people illegally entering abandoned buildings across the Hudson Valley and posting videos on TikTok.

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At the time, they mentioned a recent incident in Somers involving unauthorized entry into a vacant facility that resulted in a small fire.

That fire? We now know exactly what they were talking about.

Fire Inside Former IBM Building In Somers, New York

On the morning of March 30th, the Somers Fire Department was dispatched to the former IBM building on a report of smoke inside the structure. When crews arrived, nothing looked wrong from the outside. No visible smoke, no visible fire.

But once firefighters made entry, they confirmed smoke conditions inside.

Given the sheer size of the building and a limited water supply in the area, incident commanders transmitted a working structure fire, bringing in additional resources, including tanker trucks.

Crews eventually located a room-and-contents fire approximately 100 feet inside the structure. Because of the distance, firefighters had to deploy additional high-rise hose packs connected to the main attack line just to reach it.

They knocked it down quickly, but given how massive the building is, crews spent significant time conducting a thorough search to make sure the fire hadn't spread beyond the original area. Firefighters were on scene for approximately three hours.

The cause of the fire has been deemed suspicious.

This Is Why The Warning Was Issued

New York State Police say they are aware of a growing social media trend, particularly on TikTok, where people are filming themselves entering abandoned buildings and posting the videos online.

They believe this is directly connected to what happened at the former IBM building.

"Entering or remaining in an abandoned structure without permission may result in arrest and criminal charges, including trespass and related offenses," State Police said.

Beyond the legal risk, the physical danger is very real. The former IBM building, like many abandoned structures, has significantly deteriorated over time.

Firefighters who responded noted that the building contains numerous hazards.

State Police add that abandoned buildings often contain hazardous materials, open shafts, and exposed wiring, conditions that can result in serious injury or death.

A viral trend isn't worth a criminal record. And it's definitely not worth your life.