As the GCC market for thermal image fire detection grows in sectors ranging from refining to data centres, two of Teledyne FLIR's thermal imaging cameras have received UL 2684 listing, providing fire engineers, insurers and asset owners across the GCC with an independently evaluated benchmark for thermal image fire detection
Teledyne FLIR's A40 and A70 (Axx-Series) thermal imaging cameras are listed as thermal image fire detectors under ANSI/CAN/UL 2684, the joint US/Canadian standard for video and thermal image detectors used in fire alarm systems. This gives Gulf projects an NFPA-aligned benchmark for thermal image fire detection, as the UL 2684 listing complements the 2025 edition of NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, which introduced a dedicated category for thermal image fire detection.
How does this help the GCC?
For the GCC, where many fire protection frameworks draw upon NFPA codes and UL-listed equipment is already part of established project review, this makes it easier to evaluate and specify thermal image fire detection solutions within critical infrastructure projects.
UL 2684 sets out defined requirements for fire testing, environmental and electrical performance, and durability, providing stakeholders with equipment that has been independently tested against a published standard by an accredited laboratory.
Thermal image fire detection has a range of applications in the Gulf markets, given the infrastructure being built and operated throughout the region, as it enables the detection of anomalies in temperature before smoke and fire appears, allowing for early intervention to prevent fire breaking out and thereby promoting a more proactive safety management approach.
Thermal image fire detection is increasingly valuable in petrochemical and refining facilities, where friction heating or equipment degradation can develop long before ignition. The same advantage applies to utilities and electrical infrastructure, battery energy storage systems, data centres, rooftop and utility-scale solar, manufacturing facilities, logistics hubs and other industrial assets where an abnormal temperature rise often represents the earliest indication of an emerging risk.
How does thermal image fire detection compare with traditional fire detection?
Traditional fire detection technologies respond to the products of combustion, such as smoke, flame, or heat reaching a detector. By that stage, the fire process has already begun.
A thermal image fire detector works at an earlier stage, measuring the temperature of the asset itself before smoke is generated. Unlike conventional thermal cameras used primarily for visualisation, a calibrated thermal image fire detector continuously measures temperature across every pixel in the scene.
By identifying thermal anomalies at an earlier stage, organisations can address developing issues through planned maintenance rather than emergency response. A loose electrical connection can be tightened, a battery module isolated, or a failing component replaced before operations are disrupted, thus reducing downtime, avoiding potential costs and contributing to plant reliability and business continuity.
As well as operational benefits, thermal monitoring can also support broader risk management and asset-protection strategies, as insurers, risk consultants, and infrastructure owners increasingly seek solutions supported by independently validated standards.
Teledyne FLIR's Axx-Series cameras combine thermal detection with integrated visible imaging to help operators verify alarm conditions quickly. Analytics are processed directly on the camera, reducing dependence on external servers while enabling rapid response. When alarm conditions are met, the cameras initiate fire alarm events through compatible fire alarm control systems.
Designed for line-of-sight monitoring of high-value assets, thermal image fire detection is intended to complement conventional fire detection technologies as part of a comprehensive fire protection strategy.
"Safety has always been at the heart of what we do, and in fire protection, safety runs on standards. A fire starts as heat, not smoke, and our cameras detect that heat before there is smoke or flame. The question we get in this region is not whether thermal detection works. It is what the device is listed to, and how that fits the code the authority is working from. Until now there was no listing to point to. That has changed," said Matthew Hasty, global vertical director for Science, Automation, and Early Fire Detection at Teledyne FLIR.
