This paper presents the combustion characteristics of hydrocarbon fuel from a conventional pressure-swirl nozzle of a small-scale burner. The nozzle has orifice diameters of 0.256 mm and liquid flow rates ranging from 50 to 64 mL/min were selected for the experiments. The furnace temperature distribution along the axial distance, the gas emission such as CO, $CO_2$, NOx, $SO_2$, flue gas temperature, and combustion efficiency were studied. The local furnace and flue gas temperatures decreased with an increase in air velocity. At injection pressures of 1.1 and 1.3 MPa the maximum furnace temperatures occurred closer to the burner exit, at an axial distance of 242 mm from the diffuser tip. The CO and $CO_2$concentrations decreased with an increase in air velocity, but they increased with an increase in injection pressure. The effect of air velocity on NOx was not clearly seen at low injection pressures, but at injection pressure of 1.3 MPa it decreased with an increase in air velocity. The effect of air velocity on $SO_2$ concentration level is not well understood. The combustion efficiency decreased with an increase in air velocity but it increased with an increase in injection pressure. It is recommended that injection pressure less than 0.9 MPa with air velocity not above 8.0 m/s would be suitable for this burner.