A method is described of operating an internal combustion engine burning a fuel containing carbon and hydrogen, to provide a flame in the exhaust system to heat a catalytic converter or burn off the soot in a particulate filter trap. The method involves reducing the intake throttle opening during deceleration mode below the throttle opening for the steady speed idle position to create a proportion of combustible gases in the exhaust gas stream. By ensuring at the same time the presence in the exhaust gas stream of additional air, an ignitable mixture is produced which is ignited to burn as a flame in an afterburner chamber of the exhaust system. By selecting deceleration periods to enrich the mixture excessively in this manner, adverse effects on drivability go unnoticed.