With two people since Friday falling off their roofs while they were removing snow, the Albert Lea Police Department is advising residents to clear snow from their roofs with caution and to use other methods to do so when possible.

Albert Lea Police Lt. Darin Palmer said first responders responded to two residences in the last few days for people who had fallen off their roofs, but he could not release the names of the people involved or the extent of their injuries.

He said oftentimes people are removing snow and finding a thin layer of ice underneath, making the roof very slippery.

Palmer said the best way to avoid getting injured falling off a roof is to instead get a roof rake and stand on the ground to try to pull the snow off.

People can also hire someone to remove the snow, or there’s also several different options at hardware stores that people can buy to melt snow.

He noted getting on the roof to remove the snow should be the last resort.