Keeping Your Home Safe: How Thermal Cameras Can Prevent Lithium Battery Fires

Introduction
Imagine plugging in your new e-bike in the garage for an overnight charge, only to wake up to flames. Unfortunately, scenarios like this are becoming more common. In New South Wales alone, at least 35 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries were recorded in the first weeks of 2025, with most sparked by e-bikes and e-scooters ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ). In one case, a 21-year-old man in Sydney died in a house fire believed to have started from a charging e-bike battery ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ). These incidents highlight a growing risk in our homes: fires from lithium battery systems in everything from electric vehicles (EVs) to home solar storage units. This article explores why lithium battery fires are so dangerous, why traditional smoke alarms or CCTV might alert you too late, and how thermal imaging cameras – specifically Dahua’s WizSense Thermal series – can provide early warning to help prevent disasters.

Lithium Battery Fires: A Different Kind of Blaze

Lithium-ion batteries power many modern conveniences, but they come with a unique fire hazard. Unlike a slow-burning wood or fabric fire, a lithium battery fire can erupt explosively due to a phenomenon called thermal runaway. If a battery cell overheats (from damage, overcharging, or a fault), it can trigger a chain reaction of chemical fires in adjacent cells. Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) warns that faulty or overcharged lithium batteries “can explode, causing intense fires that are extremely difficult to extinguish and are at risk of reigniting.” ( E-bike explodes in garage of Sydney home, sparking major fire | Sydney | The Guardian ) In practical terms, this means a battery fire can go from a whiff of smoke to a ferocious blaze in seconds, burning at over 1,000°C and producing toxic smoke. Traditional fires usually need external fuel and grow gradually; lithium batteries carry their own fuel and oxidiser, so once they ignite, they burn violently and may flare up again even after you think the fire is out.

Real-World Examples: Lithium battery fires are no longer rare freak accidents – they’re happening regularly. FRNSW data shows the problem is growing fast: in 2022 about 1 in 100 fires was caused by a lithium-ion battery, but by early 2024 it was 1 in 40 ( source ). Firefighters in NSW battled 71 battery fires in the City of Sydney area alone since 2022 ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ). Many incidents involve personal transport devices: e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards, and similar. In early 2025, micromobility devices caused the majority of battery fires in NSW, prompting safety warnings ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ). One high-profile case in 2023 saw an e-bike charging in an Eastgardens (Sydney) garage explode and destroy the garage and a car, badly damaging the house – a resident had to jump from a second-storey window to escape ( E-bike explodes in garage of Sydney home, sparking major fire | Sydney | The Guardian ) ( E-bike explodes in garage of Sydney home, sparking major fire | Sydney | The Guardian ). Firefighters removed several smouldering battery packs and had to submerge the e-bike battery in water overnight to prevent re-ignition ( E-bike explodes in garage of Sydney home, sparking major fire | Sydney | The Guardian ).

Even home solar battery systems and electric vehicles (EVs) have been implicated in fires, though at lower rates. FRNSW recorded 43 fire incidents involving home energy storage systems and 10 involving electric or hybrid vehicles over 2022–2024 ( source ). In Victoria, a recent garage fire in Glen Waverley initially feared to be an EV battery fire was traced to an overheated travel adapter used for charging the car ( Aftermarket charging lead and travel adapter cause electric vehicle fire | Fire Rescue Victoria ) ( Aftermarket charging lead and travel adapter cause electric vehicle fire | Fire Rescue Victoria ). While EVs are statistically less likely to catch fire than petrol cars, the immense energy in their batteries means that if one does ignite, it can be catastrophic. The takeaway is that any high-capacity lithium battery – whether in an EV, a Tesla Powerwall, or an e-bike – represents a new kind of fire risk for homeowners.

The Problem with Late Detection (Smoke Alarms & Regular CCTV)

If a lithium battery ignites in your home, every second counts. The challenge is that traditional detectors might only raise the alarm when it’s already too late. Here’s why:

• Smoke Alarms: Most homes rely on smoke alarms for early fire warning. But smoke alarms need smoke to reach them before they trigger. Lithium battery fires often start with a fierce burst of flame or pressurised venting that may not produce a lot of smoke immediately (or the smoke may stay low before rising). By the time enough smoke sets off the alarm, the fire may already be well-established. This delay is even worse if the fire starts in a garage, shed, or room without a smoke detector. (Many building codes don’t require smoke alarms in garages or outdoor areas where EVs or batteries might be charging.) FRNSW has noted cases where only the sound of the smoke alarm alerted residents in the nick of time to escape a battery fire ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ) – implying that without that lucky early alert, the outcome could have been tragic. Smoke alarms save lives, but in the fast-flashover world of lithium fires, they might beep when the fire is already roaring.
• Conventional Security Cameras: What about your CCTV cameras? Regular home security cameras use normal video feeds; they might see a fire on camera, but they won’t detect it in a meaningful way. Unless someone is actively monitoring the feed, a standard camera won’t raise an alarm for a fire. Some cameras have motion detection, but a flame in an empty garage might not trigger motion alerts early enough (or at all). And in darkness, unless flames are visible, a normal camera with night vision still can’t see heat – it relies on infrared illumination or low-light sensitivity to see shapes. By the time flames are visible to a camera, the fire is already in full swing (essentially acting as its own light source). In short, a conventional CCTV might give you video footage of the incident, but it won’t necessarily give you a heads-up.

Why Every Minute Matters: Lithium battery fires can spread incredibly fast. If an e-bike or scooter battery ignites in a hallway or garage, within moments it can fill the area with flames and thick smoke. If no one is alerted until a smoke alarm sounds or someone spots flames on a camera, precious time has been lost. Quick evacuation is critical (since the fumes are toxic), and the sooner the fire brigade is called, the better chance to save the property. This is where having a “smart” early detection system is invaluable.

How Thermal Imaging Cameras Spot Danger Early

Thermal imaging cameras don’t see light; they see heat. They create a visual map of temperature, showing warm objects in one colour and cooler backgrounds in another. In a sense, they give your home a pair of heat-sensing eyes. Here’s how that helps in fire prevention:

• Detecting Unusual Heat: Under normal conditions, everything in a room or garage has a typical temperature range. A thermal camera continuously monitors these temperatures. If something starts to heat up abnormally – say, a lithium battery pack warming far beyond ambient temperature – the camera will notice. You’d see a distinctive “hot spot” in the thermal image long before you see any visible flames or smoke. For example, if an e-bike’s battery begins to smoulder internally, a thermal camera might show one section of the bike glowing bright orange on its display, even though to the naked eye the bike looks fine.
• Early Fire Detection Algorithm: The Dahua WizSense Thermal cameras are designed to automatically detect a sudden temperature rise or an object exceeding a set temperature threshold ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). In plainer terms, you can program these cameras to sound the alarm if any part of the camera’s view goes above, say, 70°C. A lithium battery getting into dangerous territory can easily exceed that – often battery cells will heat well over 100°C in failure mode. The camera doesn’t wait for smoke or flames; it detects the heat of the fire before the fire really takes hold ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). Dahua describes this as “temperature monitoring” rather than traditional fire detection – it’s watching for the signature of fire (heat) at the earliest stage. In fact, thermal systems can often detect a problem “significantly faster than a regular smoke detector alarm, especially in a large space where smoke takes a long time to reach the ceiling.” ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ).
• All-Weather, All-Light Conditions: Because they sense infrared radiation, thermal cameras work in darkness just as well as in daylight. They aren’t fooled by shadows or blinded by smoke. If a garage is pitch black at 3 AM, a normal camera might see nothing – but a thermal camera would clearly show the outline of your car and any hot spots on it. Even if light smoke starts to develop, thermal imagers can still pinpoint the heat source through the haze. This makes them extremely reliable for 24/7 monitoring. They’re like a guard dog with a supernaturally keen nose for heat.

( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ) Thermal vs Traditional Detection: A thermal camera (left) spots a growing hot spot before there’s visible smoke or flame. A smoke detector (centre) activates only when enough smoke is present, and a conventional camera (right) might not notice until flames are in full view (Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service). In essence, the thermal image “sees” the fire at its seed, while other systems lag behind.

• Automated Alerts and Alarms: The real magic is that when a thermal camera detects a high-heat anomaly, it doesn’t just record it – it can raise an alarm immediately. The Dahua WizSense Thermal series, for instance, has a built-in alarm function for fire detection. The moment an abnormal temperature is detected, the system can send out alerts ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). This can be configured in multiple ways: it can trigger a siren or strobe light on the camera itself, send a notification to your phone or home alarm panel, or even alert a monitoring service. In Dahua’s case, some models come with active deterrence features – meaning the camera will flash a bright light and play a sound to alert anyone nearby as soon as it spots trouble ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). Imagine sleeping at home and your garage thermal cam starts wailing at 2 AM – that early warning could give you time to douse a small fire or at least get everyone out safely and call firefighters before the whole house is on fire.
• Verification Through Visual Feed: Many thermal cameras, including Dahua’s hybrid WizSense models, are “bi-spectrum” or dual-channel. They have both a thermal sensor and a regular optical camera in one unit. The benefit is that when you get an alert, you can check the live feed and see both the thermal image (highlighting the hot spot) and a normal video image of the scene. For example, you might get an alert on your phone and open the app to see a thermal view of your garage with a bright red patch on your EV’s charger, and alongside it the regular camera view showing the car in the dark. This dual view helps confirm the threat is real – you get context like “it’s the charger unit that’s overheating, not just a sunspot or a cat” – and you can give precise info to emergency services if needed.

( MOBOTIX Thermal Technology for Early Fire Detection | MOBOTIX AG ) Dual Vision Example: Thermal cameras pair an infrared view with a normal camera. In this example from an industrial site, the left image is a standard view of a storage area and the right image is the thermal view. Notice how the thermal image (right) highlights hot spots (bright yellow areas) that are invisible in the regular photo ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). In a home, a dual thermal camera watching your garage would let you both “see” the heat issue and identify exactly what’s overheating.

Fire Scenarios at Home Where Thermal Cameras Shine

1. EV Charging in the Garage

Picture your electric car plugged in overnight in the garage. Modern EVs have numerous safeguards, but as the saying goes, nothing is foolproof. Perhaps a fault develops in the charging cable, or an old power outlet is overheating under the load. In rare cases, an EV’s battery module could have an unnoticed defect. Without a thermal camera, an issue might go unnoticed until a fire is well underway – you might only be alerted by a neighbour pounding on the door or the smoke alarm (if it even hears it from the garage). With a thermal camera mounted in the garage aimed at the car/charger, the story changes. If the charger connection or the EV’s battery area starts heating beyond normal levels, the camera will catch it. For instance, if any spot in the camera’s view exceeds a safe threshold (say 80°C), it can send an instant alert ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). You (or a monitoring service) could be notified while the situation is still just an overheating component, not a full fire. Early intervention could be as simple as shutting off the power or using a fire extinguisher before flames spread.

It’s worth noting that EV battery fires are comparatively infrequent – one Reddit analysis found very few cases of EVs spontaneously igniting while charging in Australia – but they do happen, and when they do, they’re severe. Given the value of an EV and the fact that garages are attached to homes, a thermal camera is a prudent guardian. It watches quietly every time you charge, so you can sleep without constantly worrying about that “what if.”

2. Home Solar Battery Storage (Powerwall-style Systems)

Home battery installations, like the Tesla Powerwall or LG Chem units, are usually bolted to the wall in a garage or utility area. These batteries store a large amount of energy to power your home at night or during outages. They are engineered with safety features, yet there have been a few incidents of home batteries overheating or catching fire (often due to internal cell faults or external damage). FRNSW data from 2022–2023 shows a handful of fires were linked to home energy storage systems ( source ), so while not as common as other battery fires, the risk isn’t zero.

A thermal camera trained on your battery unit can serve as an independent watchdog. These batteries normally operate warm but not hot – typically in the 20°C–40°C range during charging/discharging. If a cell starts to go bad, the exterior of the unit might gradually heat up. You wouldn’t notice this by touch until it’s quite hot, but a thermal camera would spot a creeping temperature rise. For example, if one corner of your Powerwall begins glowing in the thermal image at 60–70°C, that’s a red flag. The Dahua thermal camera can be configured to trigger an alarm at that point, giving you a chance to disconnect the system or call for maintenance before it bursts into flames. This is crucial because if a home battery fire does start, it can be very challenging to extinguish (fire services often need to let it burn out while protecting surroundings). Early detection might prevent the fire entirely by allowing a controlled shutdown. Think of it like a smoke alarm for your battery – but one that senses heat directly, not just the smoke after the fact.

3. E-Bikes, E-Scooters and Gadgets Charging Indoors

This is the big one for many households. Those electric bikes and scooters are everywhere now – convenient, eco-friendly… and, as fire stats show, a leading cause of home lithium battery fires. The pattern firefighters often see is a device left charging unattended (often overnight). A cheap charger without proper cut-off, or a damaged battery pack, can overcharge and overheat. FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter noted many recent fires have been “near misses” where people were lucky to wake up when the device burst into flames ( Fire and Rescue NSW statistics reveal lithium-ion battery fire hot spots across Sydney, e-bikes and e-scooters to blame – ABC News ). In some tragic cases, people have been overwhelmed by smoke before they could escape.

If you or your kids charge an e-bike or scooter at home (say in the garage, on the balcony, or in a hallway corner), a thermal camera is almost a no-brainer investment for safety. Here’s how it helps: you set up the camera to cover the area where the devices charge. Lithium batteries typically get warm during charging, but not excessively hot. If everything is fine, the thermal image will show maybe a gentle warmth on the battery. But if the battery starts going into thermal runaway, there will be a distinctive heat bloom. The camera could be set to distinguish normal “warm” (perhaps 30–40°C) from dangerous “hot” (60°C and above). The moment an e-bike battery starts to overheat beyond normal, the WizSense camera will detect the anomaly and trigger an alert ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ).

Imagine charging an e-scooter in the downstairs entry. At 3 AM, its battery begins to smoulder. Instead of silently progressing to an inferno, your thermal cam sends your phone an alert and kicks on a built-in siren. You wake up to the alarm when there’s just a lot of heat and maybe a whiff of smoke, rush down and unplug it – perhaps preventing a fire altogether. Or even if flames have started, they’re small and confined, and you can use an extinguisher or call the fire brigade immediately, keeping damage minimal. Contrast that with waking up only once the smoke has filled the house – which is what often happens without any early warning.

Did you know? Fire authorities recommend charging these devices in a safe area and never leaving them on charge indefinitely. Fire Rescue Victoria reports that overcharging, using the wrong chargers, physical damage, and manufacturing faults are all common causes of lithium battery fires ( Aftermarket charging lead and travel adapter cause electric vehicle fire | Fire Rescue Victoria ). They even advise to “only charge items in rooms with smoke alarms” ( Aftermarket charging lead and travel adapter cause electric vehicle fire | Fire Rescue Victoria ). A thermal camera adds another layer of safety on top of these practices – effectively watching the charger for any sign of trouble. It’s especially useful in garages or sheds where you might not have a smoke alarm.

Meet Dahua WizSense Thermal: Features That Matter

Not all thermal cameras are created equal. For home use, you want something reliable, easy to integrate, and smart enough to give meaningful alerts (not false alarms every time the oven is on or the dog walks by). Dahua’s WizSense Thermal series hits that sweet spot with features tailored for security and safety. Here are some key features and how they help with fire detection:

• High-Sensitivity Thermal Sensor: WizSense thermal cameras use an uncooled VOx microbolometer sensor with a resolution of 256×192 pixels ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ) ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). Don’t let the lower resolution fool you – that is standard for thermal imaging and is plenty to detect hotspots across a typical garage or room. This sensor can discern tiny differences in temperature (sensitivity typically ≤50 mK, meaning it can tell variations of 0.05°C). In practice, this means it can detect a mild temperature change or a small hotspot early on.
• Wide Temperature Range & Accuracy: The Dahua cameras are calibrated for a wide temperature range of –20°C to 550°C, with accuracy around ±2°C ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ) ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). Why is this important? Because lithium battery fires can get extremely hot – well over 300°C at the source. These cameras can measure and track those temperatures without getting “blinded” or maxing out. The accuracy means you can trust what it’s telling you – if it says something is 90°C, it’s really around that mark. You can set specific threshold alarms (for example, trigger at 75°C) confidently.
• Dual Thermal & Optical (Hybrid Camera): Each WizSense thermal camera actually includes a regular full 4-megapixel optical camera as well ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ) ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). The device combines the two feeds. For users, this means you get both a thermal view for detection and a normal CCTV view for identification. In daily use, you can use it like a standard security camera, and in an alarm event, you get the benefit of visual confirmation.
• Fire Detection Analytics: The Dahua WizSense Thermal series has built-in AI algorithms specifically for fire detection. According to Dahua, the camera can “detect objects with a large temperature difference compared to the average scene, as fires usually have much higher temperatures than the surroundings.” ( Dahua reference ) In plain language, it’s constantly looking for anything that’s way hotter than everything else.
• Smart Alerts and Integration: When a Dahua thermal camera detects a fire risk, it can alert you in multiple ways. Many models support onboard alarm outputs or can tie into a home alarm system (they have alarm input/output connections). They also support network notifications – for example, push alerts to your phone via an app, or email snapshots, or trigger recording on an NVR. You won’t just get a generic “motion detected” – you’ll get an alert that might say “Fire Detection: Abnormal temperature at camera 1”.
• Onboard Siren/Light (Active Deterrence): Some Dahua thermal cameras come with built-in white LED lights and speakers. The benefit here is immediate, local warning. Dahua notes that the camera can activate a white light and audible alarm on-site the moment it detects an abnormal temperature ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). Even without an intruder, the audible alert can prompt anyone at home to check it out right away.
• “Smoking Detection” Bonus: Interestingly, the Dahua WizSense thermal cameras also have a deep-learning algorithm to detect smoking behaviour ( Dahua Technology – World-leading Video-centric AIoT Solution and Service ). While primarily intended for no-smoking enforcement in commercial settings, in a home context this could theoretically alert you if, say, someone left a cigarette burning or if a small wisp of smoke appears. It’s another layer of detection – though for our focus, the heat detection is the star.
• Quality and Weather Resistance: Dahua is a known brand in security, and these cameras are built for 24/7 use. They are weatherproof (IP67 rated), meaning you can install them outdoors or in dusty garages without worry. They’re also PoE (Power over Ethernet), which simplifies installation. Once set up, they require little maintenance. Just an occasional cleaning of the lens and checking that the view isn’t obstructed.

Practical Safety and Peace of Mind

Technology aside, the ultimate goal here is keeping your family and home safe. A thermal camera is an early warning system that addresses the specific challenges of lithium battery fires. It doesn’t replace smoke alarms – it complements them by covering scenarios where smoke alarms struggle. For example, a thermal camera can watch over your EV charging station, solar battery, and charging gadgets even when you’re not home, providing an alert that something’s wrong. If you’re away and an alert comes in, you can remotely view the camera, and call a neighbour or emergency services to check. It could be the difference between a minor incident and losing the entire house.

Firefighters often say that by the time they arrive, a room can be engulfed in under 5 minutes of a fire starting. The best fire is one that never grows big in the first place. By catching unusual heat build-up, you have a chance to intervene early – maybe preventing the fire from breaking out at all. Even if a fire does start, those extra minutes of warning can be lifesaving. It gives you time to wake up, get the kids, grab the extinguisher or just get out and call 000 (Australia’s fire emergency number).

Real Stats, Real Impact: Nearly every day, Australian firefighters are responding to lithium battery fires – Fire Rescue Victoria reported almost one battery fire callout per day in 2024 ( Aftermarket charging lead and travel adapter cause electric vehicle fire | Fire Rescue Victoria ). New South Wales saw 16 injuries and 2 deaths from lithium battery incidents in just the first half of 2024 ( source ). These aren’t abstract numbers; they represent families and homes. Reducing those incidents starts with prevention and early detection. While safe charging practices and quality devices are the first line of defence, having a thermal imaging sentry adds an extra safety net for when things go wrong.

Conclusion: A Watchful Eye Against “Invisible” Fire Threats

Lithium battery fires are a 21st-century problem showing up in our homes – but we have 21st-century solutions. Thermal imaging cameras like the Dahua WizSense series bring military-grade and industrial fire detection technology into the everyday household. They’re the vigilant guard that never sleeps, scanning for heat trouble that you wouldn’t otherwise see. For everyday homeowners, this technology might sound high-tech, but it’s increasingly accessible and straightforward to use. It’s not about being fancy; it’s about practical safety for you and your family.

By installing a thermal camera in key areas (garage, battery storage, or wherever you charge devices), you’re essentially giving your home a firefighter’s thermal vision. It’s peace of mind knowing that if something starts to go wrong, you will know early. As we’ve discussed, that early warning can make all the difference in preventing a small spark from turning into a devastating blaze.