Underground coal fires are regarded as a global disaster "without geographical boundaries", not only resulting in substantial waste of coal resources but also posing serious threats to ecological environments and the safe development of society. Remote sensing technology has demonstrated unique advantages in the long-term detection and identification of underground coal fires, providing critical technical support for monitoring and remediation efforts. Focusing on the typical surface response characteristics induced by underground coal fires, this paper elaborates on the fundamental principles of remote sensing detection and identification in coal fire areas, systematically analyzes and reviews the existing remote sensing-based methods for detecting and identifying underground coal fire zones, highlighting the strengths and limitations of each approach. Building on this analysis, the paper discusses the existing research gaps and provides a forward-looking perspective on the existing challenges and future development directions in this field.