NYC influencer’s viral video captures a radiator spewing boiling water and summons firefighters

14 February 2026

Upper East Side influencer Sam Souder went viral for filming her roommate’s radiator, which turned her apartment into a scary steam bath. J.C. Rice for NY Post

When a seemingly ordinary morning in her Upper East Side apartment quickly turned into an extraordinary scene straight out of a home horror show influencer and model Sam Souder found herself at the center of one of social media’s most talked-about moments after capturing a malfunctioning radiator spewing boiling water and steam into her living space, a bizarre incident that went viral and drew more than nine million views as it unfolded online.

Souder, 27, a New Jersey native who moved into her prewar walk-up with two roommates last October, said she woke up to an alarming noise she initially couldn’t identify. When she went to investigate, she came face to face with what she describes as a radiator acting as if it had a mind of its own, shaking, hissing and spraying scalding hot water across the floor and filling the room with thick steam. In videos she shared, the cast-iron heater looks almost alive, trembling with pressure before bursting its valve and unleashing a torrent of boiling liquid as though the apartment had suddenly been transformed into a surreal steam room.

The young influencer had grabbed her phone to document the scene not for clicks but to warn her roommates, whom she hoped would hurry back and help her manage the dangerous situation. She later explained that she did not expect the video to blow up the way it did, saying her primary intention was to show others what was happening so that someone could step in and help contain the damage. But in a twist typical of internet virality, her footage of the chaotic heater drew widespread attention, with people across the country sharing, commenting and joking about what became a strangely captivating domestic disaster.

As the steam grew thicker and visibility in the apartment dropped dramatically, Souder opened all the windows she could find and tried to ventilate the space while calling her father for advice. When the pressure and temperature of the radiating water became too intense to manage, she made the call that many onlookers later applauded she dialed the Fire Department of New York. Some viewers questioned whether she really needed professional help, but Souder stood by her decision, noting that the boiling water and steam posed a real risk of burns and injury. Emergency responders soon arrived, quickly identifying and shutting off the radiator’s water supply with expertise that allowed the situation to be brought under control safely and without major harm to the residents.

The building’s maintenance crew later offered their own explanation for the frightening malfunction, suggesting that the radiator may have reacted violently after being turned on and off repeatedly a practice they said can cause pressure buildup and compromise older heating systems. Souder’s roommate, following instructions from the building’s superintendent, had tried to keep the valve open while waiting for maintenance, but when she attempted to adjust it, the valve flew off entirely due to pressure, triggering the dramatic release of hot water and steam.

The online response to Souder’s video was a mix of humor, disbelief and relief. Viewers joked about now having a free steam room in her apartment, speculated about potential rent increases following her viral fame and celebrated the unexpected comedy of a situation that was terrifying in the moment but strangely captivating in retrospect. One commenter playfully warned her to not have any wrinkles in her clothes with all that steam around, while another teased that the building’s landlord might raise the rent because of the steam room amenity. Souder herself laughed at many of the responses, acknowledging that the internet can find humor in almost any scenario.

Perhaps the most heartwarming aftermath of the situation came from the personal connections it fostered. The video caught the eye of the apartment’s former tenant, who reached out with encouragement and a sense of shared history, and it even brought a message from the wife of the main firefighter featured in the footage, who said that seeing the clip brightened her husband’s year. This unexpected connection underscored how a moment of chaos can sometimes turn into something positive when shared in the public sphere.

For Souder, the radiator incident was a reminder that city living can be unpredictable and that taking swift action in the face of danger is always wise. Although she initially filmed the event simply to inform her roommates, the video became a snapshot of a uniquely New York experience, a blend of the surreal, the humorous and the genuinely alarming that perfectly reflects life in a bustling metropolis filled with old buildings and unexpected surprises.