The invention provides a method for detecting coal property characteristics. The method comprises the following steps of: 1, performing industrial measurement on fire coal, thus obtaining as received basis moisture, air dry basis moisture, air dry basis fixed carbon, air dry basis ash content, air dry basis volatile component and as received basis lower heating value; 2, calculating as received basis fixed carbon, as received basis ash content and as received basis volatile component of the fire coal; 3, calculating as received basis fixed carbon heating value; 4, calculating as received basis volatile component heating value; 5, calculating the ratio of the as received basis fixed carbon heating value to the as received basis volatile component heating value, and recording the ratio as Kq; and 6, comparing the size of the Kq, wherein the larger the Kq is, the lower the combustion stability is. The heating value of the volatile component can be calculated according to the fixed carbon content and the lower heating value obtained through analysis, the ratio Kq of the fixed carbon heating value to the volatile component heating value is obtained, the ratio serves as the index of judging the combustion stability of the fire coal, and the combustion stability conditions of different coal types can be compared.