To reduce the exhaust emission at the time of ignition and fire extinguishing in a catalytic combustion type heater.

A control means 7 makes gaseous mixture of fuel and air circulate from a fuel pap 52 and an air pump 3 into a combustion cylinder 21, makes the mixture burn in a combustion body 22 in a manner of catalytic combustion, and controls the quantities of the fuel and air supplied, etc. For the ignition a preliminary combustion period preceding a stationary combustion period, in which fuel, etc., is supplied in a quantity meeting the combustion command, is provided and the amount of fuel, etc., to be supplied in the preliminary combustion period is so set as to be an air-fuel ratio which is greater than the air-fuel ratio in the stationary combustion period so that incomplete combustion can be prevented. For the fire extinguishing, with stopping of the supply of fuel, only air is supplied in an amount lessened from the time of stopping of the supply of fuel so as to keep the temperature of the combustion body 22 high and make the residual fuel completely burn. Subsequently setting for the supply of air for purge follows.