What is a spark lighter?

A spark lighter is a tool used to ignite flammable gas appliances such as bunsen burners, welding torches, and gas grills. A spark lighter produces a spark having sufficient heat to ignite flammable gas vapor when a mechanical action causes a piece of flint to rub against a hard and rough metal surface. There are also solar spark lighters available which consist of a parabolic mirror that focuses sunlight on a flammable material at the focal point of the parabola. The heat at the focal point can reach several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, more than enough for lighting a cooking fire, etc.