Will light after being submerged in water
Fire Sticks will light after being submerged IF they'e immediately taken out of the water before it does more than getting them barely damp and IF you break them in half to expose the dry interior. IOW, keep them dry.
For a fast, hot fire starter, I haven't found anything better than these ZIP cubes, from Walmart. Just light the wrapper and they'll burn hot for 10 to 15 min or longer. They are a little more expensive than the Fire Sticks, though. Walmart also sells some almost identical ones by Duraflame.