Correfocs are amongst the most striking of Mallorca’s festive events: diables and dimonis ignite fireworks everywhere, above your head, below your feet, beside you, ahead of you and behind you, and all of that simultaneously. Correfocs are hazardous fire runs, but they are good fun, if one is alert of the dangers.

The trick about fire runs lies in some prudent protection. Attendants should wear long sleeved cotton tops and long legged cotton trousers. Synthetics would be a no-no. A hat, cap, headscarf or kerchief would also be a good idea, and some earplug protection would not be as silly as it might sound. Sensible shop keepers board up their shop window fronts to avoid damage, as shown in my photo. 

Correfocs can come in many forms. In Felanitx, last Friday, it was a thrilling experience with two devils abseiling from the top of the church façade in front of a spellbound audience, as the start of an amazing correfoc lasting well over 40 minutes.

The photo was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 28th, 2008. The time was 12:08:15.