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Using the Teledyne FLIR SIRAS for Structure Fire Analysis

Lone Star Drone

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A Duplex Attic Fire Case Study

How a Local Fire Department Used the Teledyne FLIR SIRAS to Confirm Firewall Integrity in a Duplex Attic Fire

At Lone Star Drone, we’re proud to supply best-in-class thermal solutions—like the Teledyne FLIR SIRAS module—to public safety agencies. Here’s a real‐world example of how one fire department leveraged their newly purchased SIRAS to gain rapid, actionable insights during an attic fire in a residential duplex.


The Call: Attic Fire in a Duplex

A few days ago, a public safety client responded to reports of heavy smoke emanating from the roofline of a two‐unit duplex. Attic fires are notoriously dangerous: they can hide deep within insulation, spread behind walls, and put rooftop crews at risk. Crucially, this building featured a party‐wall designed to resist fire spread from one unit to the next—but had it held up under real conditions?


Rapid Thermal Reconnaissance with the SIRAS

Rather than sending personnel onto a potentially unstable roof, the department’s certified pilot deployed their Teledyne FLIR SIRAS. Quickly, they captured high-resolution thermal stills from multiple angles to determine if the party-wall had maintained integrity.


Clear Thermal Contrast: One Side Hot, One Side Cool

Figure 1: Thermal view showing intense heat on the left half of the duplex roof (bright yellow) and cooler temperatures on the right (dark orange), with a clear line marking the difference in temperature.
Figure 1: Thermal view showing intense heat on the left half of the duplex roof (bright yellow) and cooler temperatures on the right (dark orange), with a clear line marking the difference in temperature.

  • Observation: Peak temperatures on the fire side measured above the adjacent unit.

  • Insight: The attic fire was contained to one unit - no lateral spread detected.

  • Observation: The thermal gradient cuts off precisely at the centerline between the two units.

  • Insight: The duplex’s firewall performed as designed, protecting the neighboring attic space.


Ruling Out Material Emissivity Artifacts


Figure 3: Standard RGB photo shows identical shingles across both units, proving the thermal contrast is fire-driven, not material-driven.
Figure 3: Standard RGB photo shows identical shingles across both units, proving the thermal contrast is fire-driven, not material-driven.

Different roofing materials can emit heat differently, leading to false positives. By comparing visible light imagery with thermal data, the crew confirmed that the only variable was actual fire heat.


Why Thermal Drones Are a Game-Changer for Fire Departments

  1. Safety First

    • Remote hotspot detection keeps crews off unstable roofs until hazards are fully characterized.

  2. Speed & Clarity

    • Immediate thermal stills provide temperature readings with no guesswork.

  3. Evidence & Documentation

    • Stored thermal files support after-action reports, origin-and-cause investigations, and insurance claims.

  4. Low-Visibility Operations

    • See through smoke or operate effectively at night when visual inspection fails.


Thanks to the Teledyne FLIR SIRAS, the fire department confirmed that their duplex firewall remained intact under intense attic fire conditions. No boots on the brittle roof, no uncertainty about fire spread, and clear data to guide both suppression efforts and post-fire analysis.


Interested in equipping your department with thermal drone capabilities?


Contact Lone Star Drone to learn more about SIRAS integration, hands-on training, and ongoing support.



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