Abstract The sensing of a flame can be performed by using wide-bandgap semiconductors, which offer a high signal-to-noise ratio since they only response the ultraviolet emission in the flame. Diamond is a robust semiconductor with a wide-bandgap of 5.5 eV, exhibiting an intrinsic solar-blindness for deep-ultraviolet (DUV) detection. In this work, by using a submicron thick boron-doped diamond epilayer grown on a type-Ib diamond substrate, a Schottky photodiode device structure- based flame sensor is demonstrated. The photodiode exhibits extremely low dark current in both forward and reverse modes due to the holes depletion in the epilayer. The photodiode has a photoconductivity gain larger than 100 and a threshold wavelength of 330 nm in the forward bias mode. CO and OH emission bands with wavelengths shorter than 330 nm in a flame light are detected at a forward voltage of −10 V. An alcohol lamp flame in the distance of 250 mm is directly detected without a focusing lens of flame light.