Traditional smoke alarms can only do this one thing
Protecting your home from fire is a crucial consideration, and smoke detectors take on a vital role in keeping your family safe. However, smoke detectors have some limitations. For example, they are only able to identify smoke, not extreme temperatures. If there is a fire in your house, you may not be cautioned until the smoke reaches the smoke detector. Although there are additional telltale signs of fire -- including a sharp heat increase -- if there's no smoke, there is no triggered smoke detector.
Additionally, smoke detectors only activate when they find enough smoke. If a fire creeps along slowly at first, you may not be alerted until the flames are out of control. Some smoke detectors use more than one sensor, meaning they will detect smoke from both a raging fire and smoldering remnants. If they start beeping, it's up to the homeowner to call the fire department after exiting the residence.