It depends on how old the dynamite is. Some VERY OLD dynamite could be set off with a flame or spark and was based on nitroglycerin. Anything she likely had was newer than that, as the nitroglycerin tends to sweat out of the wrappers and form pools on the surface it is resting on. Very difficult to clean up. So unless the dynamite had a blasting cap and time fuse inserted, it likely did not actually detonate.

You think you'd know that candles don't have fuses but on the other hand you don't generally expect to find explosives in the basement (unless your home is more interesting than mine).

My reading of the article is that it was a very large firework, rather than some kind of professional explosive device stored fused with a blasting cap. Given the power described I stand by my original comments regarding storage of explosives.

Storing explosives properly is always a good idea even if it just is fireworks. In Germany they usually air warning spots on TV between Chirstmas and new year´s eve to encourage people to be careful with the fireworks (e. g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z8DFh9Jp-0&t=160, they blow up a dummy hand so viewer´s discretion might be required).
Fireworks bear an extra risk as they usually are stored fused.

The article cited speaks of "dynamite," which of course could be a generic term (anything highly flammable) used by the reporter; it might well have been a road flare, signal flare, or some such which could cause damage if handled carelessly, as this one evidently was.

Reminds me, I have a couple of nautical signal flares that I should dispose of properly - take to the local FD, most likely.

Whether it was a large firework (very likely) or dynamite (almost zero possibility) doesn't really matter much. What matters is that Darwin is still at work here. Even my dog would have recognized that thing was not a candle based on pictures I've seen of it - allegedly - on other websites. It makes me sad that someone could have obtained the age of 30 and still be so ignorant. She didn't deserve to be injured so, but man, was she dumb. She finds something like this in her basement, unknown, and from the previous tenant, ... and decides to light it off in the house???!!!

I guarantee that anyone here, blindfolded and in total darkness, could ID the differences between a candle and any of those fireworks or explosives.

For an amateur magician is it not so surprising.

• time lapse: after a few seconds they do not remember
• directing expectation:she was looking for a candle and the find matched enough parameters
• experience: they probably did not put explosives in the basement so it should not be there

After seeing what an audience will swallow, mistaking fireworks for a candle is totally believable.
It would be safer to just dispose of things that a previous tenant left - especially if there is no immediate use for it or if it cannot be readily identified.

Have you ever noticed that white gas fuel bottles look alot like a water bottle in the dark...?

Label everything

Pee bottle when camping?