Introduction. The Academy of State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia conducted tests of technical means of measuring the infrared range for detecting a fire source in the mobile firing range of the PTS "Lava". The results of tests for detecting both a fire source and a person in conditions of reduced visibility - in conditions of artificial smoke are presented. Goals and objectives. The purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of technical means of measuring the infrared range when training fire departments in conditions of reduced (zero) visibility. The objective of the study is to determine the source of ignition and the person in the artificial smoke by technical means of measuring the infrared range and analyzing the results obtained. Methods. When conducting a study on the detection of a fire source in the conditions of artificial smoke, scientific methods were used: analysis, synthesis and full-scale experiment. Results and their discussion. The results of tests at the PTS "Lava" firing range showed that when using a short-wave infrared camera, the detection range of both a fire source and a person in artificial smoke is five times greater than when using a visible range camera. The obtained results can be used in the educational process when preparing the personnel of fire departments for practicing professional skills. Conclusions. As a result of an experimental study on the detection of a fire source and a person in artificial smoke, the effectiveness of using a camera of the short-wave infrared range (SWIR-range) by fire departments when working in an environment unsuitable for breathing has been proved. Keywords: visibility, smoke, swir-range of the electromagnetic spectrum, fire source