circular ball of fire, dripping flames but not consumed.

multiple sightings of this craft.  looked as a ball of fire, dripping flames 50 feet below.  the craft was about 200 feet up.  sat motionless.  was not consumed by fire.  after watching it for over 20 minutes, we got bored and left.    came back much later and it was gone.  it wasnt far from a major gas pipeline.  my father saw it at night once, my sister recently saw it, my sisters father in law saw one coming from a cornfield and leave but there was nothing on fire or burning,nor the smell of burning.  this is a large coal producing area, near the Ohio river.  some 20 plus years ago, and hours south there is a festival celebrating a ufo by a similar description, but in that case it landed and aliens got out wearing some type of helmet and floated across the ground.  fayette county i think.