Me too. "It lasts a lot longer and isn't nearly as dangerous since it isn't an open flame," they told me.

They sell punk for this. They look like incense sticks without any scent. Just a smoldering slow burning stick, used to light fireworks with.

I think I just remembered something similar

I once found a full pack of cigarettes on the ground at age ~10. I quickly figured out that lighting it on fire and using the cigarette to set off fireworks was so much easier than using a lighter. I didn't even think of smoking it, I just left it lit on the ground and used it as a lighter.

I didn't understand why my parents were so worried when they found out lol.