The boys used to pour a little gasoline in a metal garbage can and put the lid on. Wait a while, then throw in a lighted match. I’m not sure I ever saw this. Maybe just heard about it. Try to even find a metal garbage can today.
We all had those sparkler things on 4th of July though. Until someone in later years pointed out that the core was about a thousand degrees.
We “smoked” “punks” and cattails. What is a “punk” anyway? They were thinner than a cattail.
Ah, metal garbage cans. You could take the lid off and use it as a shield when you had stick fights.
Funny you should mention "punks" - I was trying to explain to my kids and DH what it was - we ALWAYS had "punks" --they burned so slowly that we used them to light the other fireworks.
We also had snakes which when lit would expand like a snake along the ground.