Though the people who bought a whole bunch of illegal fireworks never got to see it happen, their ill-gotten products have gone BOOM! in the end, anyway: Officials in Texas recently destroyed about 20,000 pounds worth of confiscated fireworks, bringing them to the end they were always destined to meet.

According to the Midland Texas Police Department’s post on Facebook, the department’s bomb squad assisted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in “the disposal” (translation: fiery destruction) of around 20,000 pounds of seized fireworks, over three days.

And yes, if you were wondering, officials only blew up the fireworks during the daytime, as “it was not meant to be a fireworks show.” The lesson being: If you buy illegal fireworks, you don’t deserve a show.

It wasn’t just about having fun watching stuff blow up, however — the MPD says the exercise was an informative one for its bomb techs.

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