Here's a few pics, and my ideas on ball lightning.  I am in agreement that this phenomenon seems to be carbon related, and may be the creation/destruction of carbon fullerenes or aerogels.

From the pics, I'm using a chunk of car tire and burning it to produce a sooty flame, and passing discharges thru it.  In all the pics I've taken the balls seem to start just above the tip and not in the flame.