They are an accepted fact. Interestingly, UFOs are also often reported. In the 1960's earthquake lights were well documented in a series of photographs taken in Japan. They were frequently reported in the August 1999 Turkish quakes. The lights are most evident in the middle of a quake.
Observers claim they look like searchlights and sometimes as fireballs or lightning.
Some witnesses describe them as beams or columns of light. Witnesses describe illuminated clouds during earthquakes and fireballs a few meters in diameter that pop out of the ground in a repeatedly. Sometimes dripping luminescent droplets and tongues of fire are mentioned. Orange, yellow, white and green luminosity's are seen that last up to 12 minutes. Aurora like phenomena and flashes of light were widely reported before the 1995 earthquake at Kobe, Japan.