The embodiments of the present application provides a method and apparatus for preventing heat damage to a thermal imaging camera. The method includes: obtaining a thermal imaging picture of the thermal imaging camera; detecting whether the thermal imaging picture shows that a high-temperature object appears in the picture of the thermal imaging camera; confirming that the thermal imaging picture shows that a high-temperature object appears in the picture, generating a heat damage alarm signal, and closing a baffle if the baffle is not closed currently. In the present application embodiments, after detecting a heat damage alarm signal, that is, after detecting that a high-energy radiating object enters an image picture, the baffle is closed immediately, thereby avoiding the risk of the sensor being permanently burnt due to directly face to the high-energy radiating object.