Fuel dumping!

Some of you are jet jocks or ex-jet jocks. What can you tell me about
the practice of dumping fuel from a jet and the igniting this dumped fuel by
cutting in your afterburners? Wouldn't this be a very risky practice? If
not, why would this be done? On another newsgroup, this is being used to
explain a photograph taken by a young fellow in the UK. The photograph was
first explained to be the entry of a meteorite in the upper atmosphere but
now this is not supported. Some are using this fuel dump ignition theory to
explain what was photographed. Your comments on this practice, if it
exists, would be appreciated.
Ed