A 19-year-old Oakland man lost his left hand on July 4 after two M-100s (!) in his pocket exploded. The two machine bottle rockets in his pocket, according to CBS 5, started from nearby sparks. "Josh Meyer suspects sparks from other fireworks being set off at the party on Bartlett Avenue were what ignited the bottle rockets he'd just bought off the street and stuffed in his pocket."

Meyer, in some sort of allegedly heroic twist, pushed a 2-year-old girl standing next to him out of the way as soon as he noticed his pants on fire. "I've been dreaming about the Marines since I was 13, but at that time it was more important to save that girl," he said. (Another brave move would've been not carrying illegal fireworks--explosive that "pack the same punch as a quarter stick of dynamite"--with the intent to set them off near wee ones.)

He is expected to recover, minus his left arm.

Below: M-100 bottle rocket in action.