Abstract: A burner flame detection and monitoring system for a pilot burner for combustion of wastes gases and waste materials. The system includes a pilot burner assembly. A gas premix burner assembly includes a fuel gas delivery conduit, a fuel metering orifice, a fuel and air mixing device, a pilot tube and a pilot burner tip assembly. A primary sensor is in communication with the pilot burner assembly downstream of the fuel metering orifice. A secondary sensor is in communication with pilot burner assembly at or upstream of the fuel metering orifice. A processor receives input from both the primary sensor and the secondary sensor. A mechanism integrates the input from the primary sensor and the input from the secondary sensor in order to deduce the presence, absence or quality of a pilot flame.