Once upon a time, a certain government agency was attempting to paint rocketry as bad (VERY bad) by claiming that you could turn model rockets into anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.
(Don't hurt yourself laughing, please)
In the course of demonstrating how this could be done, these government folks purchased some big motors and some big rockets and supposedly went to a remote airfield to conduct an experiment. Apparently they were going to fly some sort of target over the airfield and try to hit the target with a rocket. Hopefully, this would have been some sort of TOWED target and not an actual manned aircraft, but then again that would also be assuming some higher level of intelligence for these guys. Anyway, to add to the "reality" of the whole thing, the story goes that the experimenters used a van with an open roof window, to stand in the opening for launch, to look like a "terrorist" (like you see in the movies).
In this scenario, if you launch a rocket upwards through the window at a target in the sky, the exhaust goes downwards. Into the van.
Story has it that the experimenters also had the foresight to store their other test materials inside the same van. These items included more motors.
Allegedly, the launch exhaust ignited the van interior (and/or the remaining motors) and the whole thing burned up.
I have to say this: This story has all the signs of someone's made-up tall tale. It is hard for me to imagine someone actually doing something this stupid (then again, we're talking about ..... ). I do not know of any official documentation of this event. But if it DID take place, you could imagine how any remaining evidence would have been deeply buried.
Anyway, you asked, and that's the story.
