These safety features should not be defeated. If stairway doors are blocked open their effectiveness for restricting smoke and fire is greatly diminished. Stairway doors must not be blocked open. Doing this may allow smoke to fill the escape route if a fire occurs. A clear exit corridor is a basic requirement for a quick exit from a burning or smoke filled building.
Hallways lose their effectiveness if they are used as storage areas.
Hallway obstruction could seriously hinder or prevent someone from exiting a building quickly and easily during an emergency. Do not wait until you personally detect evidence of smoke or heat. The only time to ignore a fire alarm is if you know for sure that the alarm is only a test. Do not attempt to use the elevator, as it may stop or be inoperable during such emergencies. Remember, the safest place to take refuge during a fire is normally the stairwell .