AUBURN – Fire Prevention Officer Gary Simard knows that shoveling is a pain. This year above all, just getting the driveway cleared can be exhausting.

But Simard advises people to do a little extra work. Specifically, he suggests getting rarely used doors shoveled out just in case an emergency exit is necessary.

“People just aren’t shoveling out those doors they don’t use very often,” Simard said. “The time you find out you can’t get out that way, it might be during a fire.”

With 2 feet of snow on the ground, Simard says he has seen many homes around the Twin Cities with all but the main doors blocked by snow. A person or an entire family could be trapped inside if flames were to make that door inaccessible.

“With the snowbanks and the drifts the way they are, I’ve even seen some egress windows blocked by snow,” Simard said.

In addition, medical workers may have trouble getting a sick or injured person out through the main door.

“We’ve got another storm on the way,” Simard said. “People should really think about how they’ll be able to get out of their homes.”