Why a ladder left so as to make it easy to get to the top of a roof? The most common answer would be, those who heat with wood need to keep their chimneys clear of creosote buildup, and doing so may require using a chimney brush--think big bottle brush with wires instead of plastic sticking out--which needs to be worked back and forth in the chimney pipe, typically from above. If there is a chimney fire, a ladder might be important as a way to reach a fireball expelled by the chimney before it can set the roof on fire. Living out of town, as the owners of this house do, puts a premium on resourcefulness and self-reliance.