MYSTERIOUS FIRES

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22659, 12 July 1945, Page 5

MYSTERIOUS FIRES

SPANISH PHENOMENON LONDON, July 11 “ Falling fire,” a phenomenon which was at first dismissed as village gossip among the peasants of the Spanish province of Almeria, has been officially confirmed. Since June 16 persons wearing white clothing in the open by day frequently found themselves on fire. White painted walls of farmhouses and laundry laid out to diy in the fields have mysteriously started to blaze under the hot sun. Peasants state that the “ fire from heaven has followed six years of cfrought. God,” they add, “ must be very angry with Spain.” So far 400 cases of damage by “ falling fire ” have been reported. Scientists investigating the phenomenon have many explanations. One relates it to “ St. Elmo’s fire *' which plays on ships’ masts at sea. Another says that the region is a good conductor of electricity and fires might well be caused by discharges of static electricity. The fires were treated by one scientist with contempt. The chief engineer of a near-by geological institute spent two days in a village in the area, but nothing happened. Two hours after his departure farmers began fighting fires all over the region. Art treasures valued at £25,000,000, taken by the Germans from the Italian National Collection, have been found at two places near the Brenner Pass. Most of the works were taken from Florence.