in accordance with the present invention , there is provided . . . a flashlight firestarter that includes an illumination source , an electrically heated ignition source for igniting combustible materials , and a firestarting element protective cap that includes a magnetic insert , all housed in a hollow multi - section cylindrical body . the firestarting element protective cap can be magnetically attached to the base of the invention for storage during operation of the firestarting element . battery supplied electrons are directed through a component cylinder that works in conjunction with other elements of the invention to form a high current , cylindrical , multi - contact , low friction , auto - isolation switching mechanism . the flashlight firestarter also includes safety and reference channels that are used as both visual and tactile references during operation and are also used to house an onboard safety clip that prevents operation of the flashlight firestarter during storage or transport .