A roof-opening device for use by fire fighters to open a vent hole for the venting of gases from a burning building containing plywood panels attached to roofing beams, such device having a shaft with a handle at the top end thereof and a transversely positioned fulcrum member at the bottom end thereof and a pair of tines extending outwardly from the fulcrum member, the tines spaced apart from one another a distance to pass over on both sides of a roofing beam after the tines are passed through a slot cut in the roof generally perpendicular to such roofing beams such that the tines when manuevered downward through the slot on each side of the roofing beam can lift the plywood panel attached thereto in incremental steps as the fulcrum member is moved along the roofing beam to separate the plywood panel from the roofing beam and open up a vent hole.