A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said crews from Mosgiel and Lookout Point were called to the fire in Gladstone Rd about 12.40am today.
When they arrived, the found the single-level house "well involved" in fire, and more appliances were called from Roslyn and Outram.
"In total we had five trucks in attendance. Police and ambulance were notified as a precaution but there did not appear to be any injuries," he said.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire risk management officer Scott Lanauze said this afternoon the blaze would be classified as an accidental fire.
“Based on the information available to investigators at this time, the fire is believed to have originated within a golf cart containing Lithium-ion batteries," he said.
"The fire has grown sufficiently enough to transmit heat to other items in the garage, which has led to a self-sustaining fire and a substantial amount of fire damage.
"The batteries inside the golf cart were being recharged at the time of the fire, following its use the previous day."
He commended the attending fire crews for their efforts in cutting-off a "significantly recalcitrant fire" by way of an interior cut-off, which saved the adjoining part of the house from the area involved in fire.
“The one saving grace is that the occupants have been alerted to the fire quickly and this has expedited their safe evacuation from the house.
"A working smoke alarm in place does the trick every time."
Many modern household items contained Lithium-ion batteries, and under certain circumstances they were more likely to catch fire, he said.
Some simple home fire safety tips for devices containing Lithium-ion batteries included:
• Do not charge a device under a pillow, on the bed or on a couch – they can overheat and cause a fire
• Don’t use or charge a battery that shows signs of swelling, overheating or damage
• Only use the battery that is designed for the device
• Only use the charging equipment that came with the device, and don’t use it if it’s damaged
• Do not leave batteries or devices in direct sunlight or in hot vehicles
• Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.
