New York Consolidated Laws, Multiple Residence Law - MRE § 133. Fire-escapes

a. Each fire-escape shall be accessible to one or more exterior doors or windows opening from the room, apartment or suite, and such window or door shall be two feet or more in clear width and two feet six inches or more in clear height.  The sill of any such window shall be within three feet of the floor.

b. Access to any fire-escape shall not be through any public toilet, or be obstructed by any bathroom fixture, kitchen fixture, sink, or in any other way.  Bars, grilles, gates or other obstructing devices on any window or door giving access to any fire-escape shall be unlawful.  A required fire-escape shall never include a window of a stair hall or public stairs.

c. Every fire-escape shall be constructed of open balconies and stairways of incombustible material and designed to support a uniformly distributed live load of at least eighty pounds per square foot.  The use of cast iron in the construction of fire-escapes shall be unlawful.

d. No fire-escape shall be removed from or erected upon any multiple dwelling without a permit from the department.  No fire-escape shall be removed or replaced unless a secondary means of egress is available or provided in lieu thereof.

2. a. Every balcony for a fire-escape shall be three feet or more in clear width.

b. Every lowest balcony more than five feet above a safe landing beneath shall have a drop ladder fifteen inches in width and of sufficient length to reach such landing.  Such ladder shall be held in a proper position at all times, and, unless properly counterbalanced, shall be placed in guides so that it can be lowered easily.  The lowest balcony shall not be more than fourteen feet above the ground or safe landing place beneath.

c. Every stairway shall be placed at an angle of sixty degrees or less with steps at least six inches in width and twenty inches in length and with a maximum rise of nine inches.  The opening in any balcony for such a stairway shall be at least twenty-one by twenty-eight inches.

d. A stairway shall be provided from every balcony on the top story to the roof of a multiple dwelling three or more stories in height except where the roof is sloped or pitched in excess of fifteen degrees.