Abstract: In order to solve the difficulties of temperature measurement in the process of governing spontaneous combustion coal gangue heaps and assess the combustion condition precisely, we established the systematic temperature measurement method based on engineering practice. Using the systematic temperature measurement method, spontaneous combustion coal gangue heaps were divided into four areas according to the temperature level: safety area, critical area, heat storage area and ignition area. Temperature measurement approached the high temperature zone gradually from the horizontal and vertical directions until the ignition area of coal gangue heaps. Systematic temperature measurement method was applied to a coal gangue heap in Wuhai Meifang Mine, and safety area, critical area, heat storage area and ignition area are determined according to the results of temperature measurement, and heat storage area and ignition area as the key areas of outfire construction should be located in the upper part of the slope. This method can save time and manpower to assess the status of spontaneous combustion of coal gangue heaps, and the temperature measurement and evaluation results directly guided the construction process of outfire constuction.