Gnu, picture yourself at 13, there was no Mythbusters then, nor sources of information, like the internet. We ran like hell and heard pops, (casing or not), and it was indeed scary....and I have a few friends who were there to certify that as a fact.

We ate beans, no comparison...just smelled bad. Now, maybe an unopened can of beans (or anythinbg else) in a campfire could possibly explode.