[Serious] A Literal Bible. Answering questions

[Mister Agenda]

The empathy point is a general point. 
In that specific example; a comet airburst involves an intense flash of light and heat, similar to a nuclear bomb. It lasts a moment, and doesn't penetrate the terrain. Getting up into the mountains for cover was the objective of the party, so it would stand to reason they were in mountainous terrain that shielded them from this effect, since they survived. One person being out in the open, observed by others in cover, is not a ridiculous idea. 
Having empathy for the author, who was having empathy for the figure in the story (which was derived from an Acacia bush, so the author says), is how you realise that 'pillar of salt' is the best terms a man who had no idea that space existed or what exactly was going on, could use to describe the appearance of what he saw.

I think Hebrew is perfectly capable of describing someone burning into ashes in an instant. 'Pillar of Salt' is not remotely a good description of what a witness would have seen if there were such an airburst.

It's speculation but it sounds like the kind of story that often grows around unusual geological features. If someone saw a pillar of salt on a plain that in any way resembled a woman, a story about how the supposed woman got that way would almost certainly follow.