A particle fuel burning furnace has an upper combustion chamber for holding a pile of particle fuel and burning the same from the bottom thereof. The furnace also includes a lower combustion chamber for afterburning combustible gases given off by the burning of solid fuel in the upper chamber and a series of spaced apart vertically-extending passageways arranged in a row and interconnecting the upper and lower chambers for communicating the combustible gases from the upper to the lower chamber. A first improved feature relates to a particle fuel delivery control device which operates an auger for filling the upper chamber with particle fuel to a desired level. A beam of light is transmitted and reflected between a photoelectric cell and reflector respectively of the device. When the particle fuel pile has grown in height during filling to the desired level the light beam is interrupted and filling is terminated. A second improved feature relates to a particle fuel diversion structure positioned in space relationship above and overlying the row of passageways. The structure forms a horizontal slot which extends laterally from the passageways which prevents particles of fuel from falling through the passageways and relocates the flame which burns the particle fuel pile from the bottom to a region away from the passageways.