Driptorch

A driptorch is a tool used in wildfire suppression, controlled burning, and other forestry applications to intentionally ignite fires.

The driptorch consists of a canister for holding fuel with a handle attached to the side, a spout with a loop to prevent fire from entering the fuel canister, a breather valve to allow air into the canister while fuel is exiting through the spout, and a wick from which flaming fuel is dropped to the ground. The wick is ignited and allows the fire to be directed as needed. The spout and wick can be secured upside down inside the canister for storage or transport. Typically the fuel used is a mixture of gasoline and diesel with a ratio of 30% to 70% respectively, although, the amounts may need to be adjusted according to fuel and weather conditions. Sometimes heavier oils are used to increase adhesion of the liquid fuel to the vegetation, and increase burn time and heat.

Variations of the driptorch can be attached to off-road vehicles (like tractors etc.) to ignite a fire while driving slowly along the ignition line. Another variant of the driptorch is the helitorch, which is attached to a helicopter and is used to ignite fire from the air.