Methods and systems for real-time road flare detection using templates and appropriate color spaces are described. A computing device of a vehicle may be configured to receive an image of an environment of the vehicle. The computing device may be configured to identify a given pixels in the plurality of pixels having one or more of: (i) a red color value greater than a green color value, and (ii) the red color value greater than a blue color value. Further, the computing device may be configured to make a comparison between one or more characteristics of a shape of an object represented by the given pixels in the image and corresponding one or more characteristics of a predetermined shape of a road flare; and determine a likelihood that the object represents the road flare.