Combination burner with boost gas injection

A burning method promotes rapid mixing and a stable flame in a burner to reduce NOx and CO emissions and to provide a smoother, quieter operation. The burner includes a primary fuel supply, a combustion air supply arranged to supply combustion air at low pressure, and a swirler for swirling the combustion air. When the primary fuel supply is gaseous fuel, the gaseous fuel is introduced radially into the swirling combustion air. A bluff body cone is arranged near the exit of the burner so as to be encountered by at least the swirling combustion air. An atomizer is arranged within the bluff body cone for atomizing liquid fuel when the primary fuel supply is a liquid fuel. Boost gas nozzles are arranged toroidily at the exit of the burner to supply and mix swirling boost gas for combustion with the combustion air when the gaseous fuel is the primary fuel supply, and mixer tabs are disposed around the periphery of the exit.