Abstract: Burner arrangements for staged combustion to decrease nitrogen oxides (NOx) during the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel with air. The burner arrangements have a combustion into which hydrocarbon fuel and less than 70% of the stoichiometric air are introduced, and a path for the secondary air around the combustion chamber. A flame holding means is provided in one end of the combustion chamber to stabilize the substoichiometric combustion so that a partially burned gas containing mainly H.sub.2 and CO as combustible components is obtained. The combustion chamber has an exit, and there is an exit from the secondary air path near the exit of the combustion chamber. A discharging means for the partially burned gas is provided at the exit of the combustion chamber to vary the pattern of the flow of said partially burned gas by converting the enthalpy of said partially burned gas into kinetic energy.