This is what we were taught on seismic crews too. It is generally okay and safe to burn sticks of dynamite (TNT) but just make sure you don't whack them really hard trying to put it out. The energy required to make it explode was supplied by a blasting cap which took a small electrical voltage to cause it to pop, roughly a half volt if I remember right (40 years ago so no guarantees.) You didn't want to disturb the blasting caps but you could toss the sticks of TNT anywhere with no consequences.