Spectral remote sensing is a very popular method in atmospheric monitoring. The paper presents an approach that involves mid-infrared spectral measurements of combustion processes. The dominant feature in this spectral range is CO2 radiation, which is used to determine the maximum temperature of nonluminous flames. Efforts are also made to determine the temperature profile of hot CO2, but they are limited to the laboratory conditions. The paper presents an analysis of the radiation spectrum of a non-uniform-temperature gas environment using a radiative transfer equation. Particularly important are the presented experimental measurements of various stages of the combustion process. They allow for a qualitative description of the physical phenomena involved in the process and therefore permit diagnostics. The next step is determination of a non-uniform-temperature profile based on the spectral radiation intensity with the 8 m optical path length.