The pattern may indicate something different than a *first* use of fire. 350,000 years ago was in the first half a glacial period, if I am reading the temperature graph correctly:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/All_palaeotemps.svg

These indicate an interglacial at 400,000 years ago. If people moved into Israel and on to Northern Europe at that time, then they may well have begun using fire *outside*. However, the article seems to imply that finding these patterns on flints outside a cave is not deemed conclusive, because forest fires may have caused the effects on the flints.

Once the cold returns “hard enough”, however, it could have easily become worthwhile to sit next to a fire in a smoky cave, rather than out in the blizzard, where the wind negates so much of the warming of the fire. This pattern could allow within its parameters both the first appearance of fire inside the cave at 350,000 years, and the earlier movement of people North, through Israel into Europe.

Global warming.

Without looking into myself I wonder if they started making the majority of their moves across Europe during a warming period?