Abstract: A swirl-type internal flame recirculation burner as used to fire asphalt plant aggregate dryers, air heaters and calcining kilns and method includes an atomizer assembly for swirling primary air in two concentric streams with the inner stream swirling more rapidly than the outer stream. Fuel oil is blast atomized in a continuous sheet into the inner stream without prefilming and then is shear atomized as the inner and outer streams violently intermix. The burning and swirling fuel and primary air mixture recirculates upstream along the burner axis. Secondary air is swirled in the same direction as the primary air and surrounds the primary air stream to promote further mixing and internal recirculation. A metal frustro-conical flame holder surrounds the burner head to stabilize and shape the recirculation flame and shield low-burn flames from tertiary air. The swirl of the secondary air is also adjusted to shape the flame. The burner may also be fired on gas or a combination of gas and oil.