Abstract: A safety lighter includes double rotating wheels provided on each side of a sparking wheel, with a buffer wheel between one of the double rotating wheels and the sparking wheel and received around an axle portion of the one rotating wheels. The buffer wheel hinders rotation of the rotating wheels and sparking wheel, idling freely and shielding one of the rotating wheels from a young/small user. Upon sufficient adult force downward on the buffer wheel, however, the axle and aperture surfaces will mate/grip sufficiently to allow the force on the buffer wheel to drive the rotating wheel. Also, some adults will be able to press the buffer wheel (to engage with the axle) and both of the two rotating wheels at the same time to drive the wheel set. The buffer wheel may be included in a common double-wheel lighter wheel system, with little if any change to the total axial length of the wheel assembly, and, hence, little if any change to the lighter structure other than the wheels.