SOMERS, N.Y. - A fire at the former IBM facility in Somers has been linked by authorities to a social media challenge in which participants post videos of themselves breaking into vacant or abandoned buildings.
A report of smoke brought local first responders to the building around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 30, according to the Somers Volunteer Fire Department.
In response, the state police last week issued an urgent warning against the illegal and reckless practice.
Entering or remaining in private property without permission may result in arrest and criminal charges, including trespass and related offenses, they said.
Many abandoned buildings are structurally compromised and may contain hazardous materials, open shafts, exposed wiring, or other conditions that can result in serious injury or death.
These locations are “inherently dangerous,” said PIO Trooper Krystal P. Paolicelli.
“Somers has been experiencing ongoing issues at the former IBM facility, where individuals have been unlawfully entering the property to explore the site and post videos on TikTok and other social media platforms. Over the past several months, multiple arrests have been made at this location,” Paolicelli said in an official statement on Monday, April 6.
According to the NYSP’s records those were:
On March 20, three individuals, including one juvenile, were arrested, and charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors. Two of those individuals were also charged with Petit Larceny and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 5th, both class A misdemeanors.
On March 30, two individuals were arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors
On March 31, three individuals were arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors, and Trespass, violations.
On April 2, four juveniles were arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors.
On April 3, five juveniles were arrested and charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors, and Trespass, violations.
On April 4, seven juveniles were arrested charged with Criminal Trespass 3rd, class B misdemeanors.
Property in Limbo
The complex of five office buildings off Route 100 was formally closed and sold by IBM for $31.75 million in late 2016. Operations officially ended there in March of 2017.
The next year, the campus was eyed for a private, for-profit STEM boarding school.
The proposal was reviewed by the Town Board in 2019 but did not move forward on its original 2020 timeline.
The 1.2 million square foot facility, known for its pyramid-topped buildings, was designed by architect I.M. Pei and was once home to thousands of IBM employees.
Safety First
“The New York State Police urge the public to stay out of these properties. Our priority is to protect public safety while enforcing the law and preventing avoidable incidents,” Paolicelli said.
The state police had not initially confirmed the location of the incident for fear it might draw others to the site.
However, the SVFD posted the details -- complete with photos -- on its website.
“These buildings have significantly deteriorated over time and contain numerous hazards. They are private property, and entry is both dangerous and prohibited,” the post read.
Paolicelli told Halston Media on Friday, April 3, that Somers Fire Chief Greg Lucia told state police that while his Facebook post deemed the incident to be “suspicious,” the term is used “for fires in which the cause cannot be definitively determined.”
“He further clarified that all fires are initially treated as potential arson. However, this incident has been classified as accidental and not criminal in nature and will be closed,” she added.
Lucia was grateful that the fire didn’t spread very far.
More importantly, he was relieved that no one got hurt fighting it.
“Our chief concern is public safety,” he explained.
At the Scene
According to the incident summary, there was no smoke visible from the outside at the time firefighters arrived at the scene.
However, once crews got inside, they were able to confirm that there was a “working structure fire."
Due to the size of the building, interior conditions, and a limited water supply, they had to call for backup, including tankers.
The fire was located about 100 feet into the structure. Because of the distance, firefighters had to deploy additional “high-rise packs” that were connected to the main “attack line” in order to reach and put out the blaze.
The fire was “quickly knocked down,” the SVFD reported.
Given the building’s large footprint, crews conducted a thorough search to make sure the fire was contained to the area of origin.
Firefighters then conducted overhaul operations and ventilated the building, remaining at the scene for about three hours.
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