Abstract: An ignition burner and a pilot burner form part of an ignition system for a fluidized stream of finely-divided coal particles in a pressurized gasifier housing having a slag overflow pipe coupled to a discharge vessel. A fuel supply pipe delivers fuel for combustion by the ignition burner and the pilot burner. A sparkplug or hot wire is used to ignite the fuel delivered to the ignition burner. The flame produced by the ignition burner is widened by a baffle so that ignition by the pilot burner occurs to produce a flame which is monitored through a thermocouple. The parts forming the ignition system are carried by a pair of levers with pivots on the inner wall of a slag overflow pipe for movement between an operative position wherein the ignition burner is situated near the slag-receiving opening of the overflow pipe and an inoperative position wherein the ignition burner is protected from contact by slag and radiation heating.