A firefighter has issued a warning to parents over the importance of keeping your children's bedroom door shut - even if they're not happy about it.
It may sound simple but this measure could save lives, according to the firefighter from Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department.
The warning came after the crew responded to a house fire that proved just how effective a closed to door could be in the event of a blaze.
In a post, the firefighter wrote: "As a parent it’s hard to convince little kids to sleep with the door closed, they always want it open just a little.
"I do a lot of fire prevention at schools, so one thing I try and stress to the kids is, how important it is to sleep with the doors closed.
"This morning members of New Fairfield’s Fire Departments along with mutual aid departments responded to a residential structure fire. The homeowners and family dog are all doing well.
"The photos are a great example of the importance of keeping bedroom doors closed while sleeping.
"The door pictured in both photos is a hollow core door to a bedroom. While the front of the door is severely damaged the closed door protected the bedroom and its contents.
"If this were an occupied bedroom the closed door could have saved a life."
The life-saving advice has now been shared nearly 100 thousand times on Facebook.
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