A firefighter has offered advice to parents that could save a life.
And the trick to doing it is so simple, but is something many don't do, as their children might not like it, the Mirror reports.
In a message posted to the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department Facebook page an emergency responder revealed how shutting a child's bedroom door can make all the difference in the event of a house fire.
The unnamed firefighter, who is a parent themselves, 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 kids is, how important it is to sleep with the doors closed."
They go on to explain how there was recently a fire in a neighbouring area and share photos from the blaze - one showing a blackened, charred door, the other showing the back of the door which is still white.
"The homeowners and family dog are all doing well," they continue.
"The photos below are a great example of the importance of keeping bedroom doors closed while sleepng.
"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."
They added: "The cause and origin of the fire are under investigation and believed to be accidental in nature."
The post has since gone viral with over 5,000 shares more than 1,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
Many were surprised to learn of the benefits of having a closed door.
One person wrote: "I close my door so the ghosts don't come in my room but glad to know there are other benefits!"
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