A few years back my cannister stove did blow up. It is very exciting! Somehow gas leaked and the entire cannister started to burn. Within a minute the whole thing blew up - loud as a grenade, the snowpeak stove on top was never found. Four of us were standing around the stove. Luckily nobody got seriously hurt - a few cuts on legs. The stove was sitting in coarse gravel and we actually got more cuts from flying gravel. After a complete search around our campsite, the only piece we found was the bottom metal ring of the cannister. I suspect the cause was a defective cannister because it was burning from the base.

This happened on 4th of July evening, as we literally were watching the fireworks 6,000 feet below in Lone Pine CA!

If this ever happens, run as fast as you can from the burning cannister and try to get behind a rock or tree. Do not waste time trying to put out the flames. It all happens quite quickly.