It may not be the first thing on your mind in an emergency involving fire but during the winter, frozen windows could be the difference in saving your own life.

As snow piles up in basement suite windows and then melts in a chinook and then freezes again, it could be tough to open and escape.

Okotoks Fire Chief Ken Thevenot says double check your windows or deck doors once in a while and make sure they're clear of snow for a fair distance.

"The snow could accumulate around your basement windows so for regressing or escaping out of your windows when the snow starts to melt there's potential for those windows freezing up," he says. "So you want to keep the snow clear so when it does melt it doesn't create any problems for frozen windows."

When dealing with basement suite windows and doors, Thevenot says take some extra time while shoveling in your daily snow removal routine.

"Just make sure there's a clear pathway to the back door of the house or back door of the suite. Making sure that your regress or your access way is a solid walking path to escape."

Another winter hazard that people may not think about is icicles hanging off the roof, while they may have their winter photo eligance they can also be dangerous when it does warm up.

Thevenot says not to worry and there's a very simple way to eliminate potential risks to yourself or parked vehicles close by.

Just keep an eye on especially when it starts to warm up on those icicles or the snow amount on your roof, so if it starts to create those icicles just maybe reach up safely with a shovel and knock them down."

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com