Resources & FAQ

What Is a Burner Management System (BMS)?

A Burner Management System (BMS) is an automated control and safety system designed to start, monitor, and shut down industrial burners. In applications where heat is essential—such as oil and natural gas production—a BMS ensures the burner operates safely and efficiently. Without it, operators may resort to risky manual ignition methods, increasing the chances of accidents, wasted fuel, and system downtime.

Why a BMS Is Necessary

A BMS is essential because it enhances every aspect of burner operation:

• Safety – Automatically shuts down the burner if unsafe conditions are detected, protecting people and equipment.

• Compliance – Helps meet key industry standards like NFPA 87 and local safety codes.

• Efficiency – Optimizes ignition sequences and fuel use, reducing downtime and operational waste.

• Reliability – Continuously monitors burner status and automatically reignites if needed, ensuring consistent performance.

By handling these tasks automatically, a BMS eliminates human error, improves system response time, and supports safer, more effective operation.

How SureFire Sets the Standard

SureFire’s BMS offers more than just basic safety. It uses sparkless hot surface ignition technology, designed to perform in real-world field conditions—no matter the moisture, weather, or mechanical wear. With a simple, intuitive interface, quick installation, seamless integration, and compliance built-in, SureFire helps operators stay focused on production, not troubleshooting. And with 24/7 customer support and industry-leading warranties, our systems are built for confidence and long-term peace of mind.

SureFire offers both piloted and pilotless ignition systems, depending on your application and regulatory requirements.

Piloted Ignition Systems

• Use a small flame (pilot) to ignite the main burner

• Required for combustors, flares, and commonly used on heater treaters

• Ensure continuous readiness and meet strict compliance standards

• Built with SureFire’s hot surface ignition and industrial-grade reliability for consistent performance in harsh environments

Pilotless Ignition Systems

• Eliminate the pilot flame and fuel trains entirely

• Use hot surface ignition to light the main burner directly

• Reduce fuel usage, minimize components, and simplify maintenance

• Ideal for heater treaters, line heaters, tanks, and separators

• Recommended for most applications due to their reliability, simplicity, and lower operational costs

Which One Is Right for You?

Whether your site requires a piloted or pilotless system, SureFire delivers ignition solutions built for safety, compliance, and maximum uptime — tailored to your specific operation.

Reliable, Sparkless Ignition
SureFire’s hot surface ignition technology ensures consistent, sparkless performance even in the harshest conditions. By eliminating weather-, moisture-, and wear-related failures common in traditional spark systems, we offer a more dependable ignition solution.

Simple Integration & Intuitive Operation
Our Burner Management System installs quickly, integrates seamlessly with existing control setups, and meets key safety standards. The user-friendly interface is designed for clarity—free from cluttered navigation or unnecessary complexity.

Long-Term Support & Efficiency
Backed by industry-leading warranties and 24/7 customer support, SureFire’s BMS minimizes downtime and maintenance costs—resulting in a safer, more efficient operation with long-term peace of mind.

Traditional systems rely on spark ignition — but SureFire takes a different approach with hot surface ignition, engineered to outperform in the environments where spark systems fail.

The Problem with Spark Ignition

• Susceptible to wind, rain, snow, and freezing temperatures

• Moisture and exposure cause unreliable ignition

• Leads to burner downtime, missed startups, and more service calls

• Frequent technician visits mean higher operational costs

Why Sparkless Ignition Wins

• SureFire’s hot surface ignition is maintenance-free and ultra-reliable

• Performs consistently in harsh conditions — no weather sensitivity

• Eliminates typical failure points found in spark systems

• Results in safer startups, fewer interruptions, and long-term reliability

Yes, SureFire Burner Management Systems are fully compliant with NFPA 87 standards under the Class H heaters designation.

SureFire was founded in 2005 with one goal: to modernize burner ignition systems for the oil and gas industry.Over the past 20 years, we’ve led the way in developing sparkless hot surface ignition, pilotless burner systems, simple-to-use BMS controllers, air compressor packages, and reliable flame front technology. Every product we build is designed to maximize uptime, simplify operations, and perform in the harshest field conditions — because we believe safer, smarter ignition should come standard.

Yes. SureFire’s Burner Management Systems are approved for use in CLASS I, DIV 2, Groups C, D, and T hazardous locations. This means our products meet the necessary safety standards for environments where flammable gases or vapors may be present intermittently, ensuring reliable and safe operation without compromising performance.

SureFire’s Burner Management System is built to support a wide range of burner applications in the oil and gas industry — delivering reliable, compliant ignition where it matters most.

Common Applications Include:

• Flare Stacks

• ECDs (Combustors)

• Heater Treaters

• Line Heaters

• Tanks & Separators

• Other Firetube-Based Systems

Whether it’s continuous duty or intermittent operation, SureFire adapts to the specific needs of your burner setup.

Fuel Types & Environment Compatibility

• Supports natural gas and propane burners

• Performs in harsh environments — wind, cold, moisture, and remote conditions

• Ideal for unattended or hard-to-access sites where reliability is critical

Tailored for Safety & Compliance

Every system is customized to fit your application and meet relevant codes and regulations, ensuring:

• Consistent ignition

• Long-term uptime

• Peace of mind on site

What Kind of ROI Can I Expect from SureFire BMS?

SureFire’s Burner Management System is designed to pay for itself fast — and we guarantee it. Most customers see a full return on investment within 6 to 12 months.

How SureFire Delivers ROI:

• Minimizes burner downtime
  Reliable hot surface ignition keeps your system online and productive.

• Reduces technician callouts
  No more costly manual relights or repeated service visits.

• Lowers maintenance costs
  Fewer moving parts and no spark failures mean less wear and tear.

• Improves fuel efficiency
  Especially with pilotless ignition, reducing wasted gas and excess usage.

• Avoids fines and penalties
  Our BMS helps you stay compliant with safety and environmental regulations.

Guaranteed ROI in 6–12 Months

With improved uptime, reduced operational risk, and fewer ongoing costs, your investment in SureFire BMS starts delivering value almost immediately — and pays for itself within a year. That’s not just our pitch — it’s our guarantee.