Disclosed is an induced-draft gas-fired furnace that includes: an electronic furnace controller, a burner assembly, a gas valve, and an inducer motor, wherein the controller: accelerates the inducer motor at a first pre-ignition rate to a first pre-ignition speed; controls the gas valve to supply gas to the burner assembly to obtain a first pre-ignition ratio of fuel to air, operates an igniter to attempt to ignite the first fuel mixture, determines whether fuel has ignited in the burner assembly, wherein when fuel having the first pre-ignition ratio of fuel to air remains unignited after a plurality of ignition attempts, the controller: decelerates the inducer motor to a second pre-ignition rate to obtain a second pre-ignition speed and a second fuel mixture comprising a second pre-ignition ratio of fuel to air, and determines whether the second fuel mixture has ignited in the burner assembly.