Abstract: In a burner for operating an internal combustion engine, a combustion chamber of a gas turbine or firing equipment, which consists essentially of at least two hollow conical partial bodies (1, 2) positioned one upon the other in the flow direction, the ignition of the air/fuel mixture forming in the hollow conical space (14) takes place by means of ignition electrodes (24a, 24b, 25a, 25b) which are placed at a location where there is a low flow velocity of the combustion air (15). This achieves the effect that the flame tongues starting from the electrode ends (25a, 25b) of the ignition electrodes (24a, 24b) can feed a flame front (7) forming at the outlet from the burner continuously and along ordered paths, i.e. paths directed in the flow direction with slight swirl in consequence of the motion of the combustion air (15), so that a stable reverse flow zone (6) forms.