burner... this is just a guess, but I suspect that the DHC8 that you observed had its props standing over a specially cleared area, or a rubber mat. Such things are becoming more common here. If I get to park over a mat, I can happily modify my starting technique.
If you've seen the gouges that I've had to have filed out of props over the years, you might understand more about why one starts engines with props feathered on, as mac so delightfully phrased it, "unimproved surfaces". But, hey, feel free to do things the way you see fit - that's what command is all about.