In this paper, we present an optimal threshold setting method for flame detection of infrared thermal image. Conventional infrared flame detection methods used fixed intensity threshold to segment candidate flame regions and further processing is performed to decide correct flame detection. So flame region segmentation step using the threshold is important processing for fire detection algorithm. The threshold should be change in input image depends on camera types and operation conditions. We have analyzed the conventional thresholds composed of fixed-intensity, average, standard deviation, maximum value. Finally, we extracted that the optimal threshold value is more than summation of average and standard deviation, and less than maximum value. it will be enhance flame detection rate than conventional fixed-threshold method.