I saw this on my Facebook feed this morning. This person made a time lapse video of the rocket launch overlooking Los Angeles. Pretty cool.

https://www.facebook.com/EmericTimelapse/videos/550418238741729/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARA4wDD5VmkSBJig5c0PbI45jPo5cLrST28rZI-5a1xcdbPv0ZvxcS69ULpktV2KthccHP4GM7zAApQw&fref=mentions&__xts__[0]=68.ARCL6bvugJac92bpgw1EsqUcY1U7w-CxCOvDvp02fo2SweOCLUWte2iYQs5rX5FlV9ydogH-htLX-IhMePdTFvY_W3o6iEPLPbBd4F0i73lmQCuLgF4uXV3fpJJ8RU9_kZ0hYCSyEaVgukRGVMH1AHrrzksmETfRIF6XT7kXB3USp5pwhIAF78BqxoGxH-2whP_TWJpd4_nZKJBeStcvNKyJUkuhCGEc4AoaNByAUw

This may be the same, or not. Still neat.

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Did it explode or was that just normal operation deploying the initial thrusters?

Normal. They have different motors/nozzle designs for near the surface.

Naveronski said:

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Normal. They have different motors/nozzle designs for near the surface.

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Yeah, that was just from the main booster separating for reentry, right?

Looks like second stage separation and ignition and first stage boost back burn. You can see the landing burn at the very end on the bottom right.

Part of why it lit up so brightly, it was launched at dusk. The extremely bright flair was the rocket getting high enough to physically have gotten back in the the sunlight.