Who was the primary witness to Baba's miracle of creating fire, and how did they react?

Chand Patil was the sole witness to Sai Baba's miracle of creating fire from the earth. As detailed in Chapter 5, after Patil returned with his found mare, the Fakir (Baba) took a pair of tongs, or a 'chimta,' and thrust it into the ground. He then pulled out a glowing ember to light the chillum. Witnessing this impossible act, Chand Patil was utterly amazed. The text notes that he thought in his mind that he had met an 'Avaliya' (a high-ranking saint) and concluded, 'one should not call him a mere human.'