New Year’s Day “Fire” at 50 North Fourth Street: Spoiler Alert—It Was Just Drama
Columbia, PA — January 1, 2026
While most people were nursing champagne hangovers and making resolutions they’ll break by February, one local building decided to kick off the year with a bang—or rather, a hiss. At 50 North Fourth Street, an unknown individual thought it would be hilarious to discharge two fire extinguishers inside and pull the fire alarm, summoning multiple fire companies for what turned out to be… absolutely nothing.
Fire crews arrived ready to battle flames, only to find a cloud of extinguishing powder and a building that looked more like a snow globe than a crime scene. Meanwhile, the neighbors provided their own entertainment. One shouted, “Let it burn!”—clearly unaware that the only thing burning was taxpayer money. A tenant shot back sarcastically, “Not this time!” proving that even in chaos, Columbia never loses its sense of humor.
A Building That Just Can’t Stay Out of the Spotlight
This isn’t the first time 50 North Fourth Street has made headlines. Known as a rooming house with a reputation for drug abuse and addiction, it’s practically a local celebrity for all the wrong reasons. Columbia’s crime index for 2024 was 155, down 32% from 2023, but don’t let that fool you—property crimes and nuisance calls are still the town’s favorite pastime.
The Bigger Picture
False alarms like this don’t just waste resources—they’re a reminder that some places thrive on drama. Addiction, instability, and a dash of mischief make for a perfect storm of chaos. Without real change, these incidents will keep happening, because apparently, nothing says “Happy New Year” like a building pretending to be on fire.
