Many types of material are exothermic without exposure to an external stimulus. Their internal temperature can increase to the point where they begin to burn spontaneously. The resulting fire and intense heat can cause nearby material to ignite. Ultimately an entire warehouse or storage area can be destroyed.Although warehouses and storage areas are equipped with fire alarms and fire fighting systems these systems only start to operate when there is a fire already.

Thermal imaging can help to detect hot spots before a fire occurs so that the necessary measure can be taken.