Ired at a compressor package manufacturing company a few years ago. A friend from Cuba came up to me with one of the fire crackers about 3/16" in diameter to ask what it was. I guess Cuba did not allow fire crackers for fear of starting a revolution. Anyway he did not believe me on what it was. I was holding it just on the end and another guy came by with a cigarette. I asked to get a light from it so I could toss it harmlessly off the side. It had been on a shelf behind some other stuff for possibly 3 years. That dry fuse went real quick. I did not have time to turn a bit and toss before it went off. Finger tips a bit tender for a couple of hours. The Cuban's eyes big as saucers for about the same time.