Fireworks usually include gunpowder, but a hobbyist has made this rather impressive bang using potassium permanganate in lieu of the more traditional ingredient.
Permanganate is a purple crystal which can provide lots of oxygen to a fire — allowing it to burn very rapidly. It was the key component of flash powder before magicians switched to the more reliable potassium perchlorate.
Survival books and shows often explain that stranded outdoorsmen can start a fire by mixing the powerful oxidizer with glycerin, but who carries those chemicals around with them on a trip to the woods?
