Draft:Throwflame (company)

Throwflame, originally known as XMatter, is a flamethrower manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. The company developed handheld flamethrowers and the first UAV-based and robot dog mounted flamethrower attachments.

The company and its products have been in question for the legality of consumer flamethrowers in the United States.

History
XMatter, now Throwflame, was founded by Quinn Whitehead in 2015. The company initially sought to provide flamethrowers for agricultural purposes. The same year, the company introduced the X15, a handheld flamethrower with a range of 50 feet. This drew media and legislative scrutiny due to its unregulated status in many U.S. states.

In 2018, the company developed the XL18 flamethrower for a government client and later made available to the public.

In 2019, Throwflame released the TF-19 WASP, a UAV-mounted flamethrower attachment.

In 2023, the company introduced the Thermonator, an FPV robotic dog equipped with a flamethrower attachment.

Legal and Regulatory Status
In the United States, flamethrowers such as those produced by Throwflame are not federally regulated and are not classified as firearms. In the aftermath of media coverage of Throwflame's products, legislation to ban flamethrowers was proposed by US Representative Eliot Engel but was not ultimately adopted.

Throwflame has countered criticism about the legality and safety of their products by emphasizing the practical applications of their products, such as their use in remote agricultural burning and forest fire containment.