Why did my tire explode?
My guess is cords were damaged on the ride creating a weak spot. Threads held together long enough to get you home and a bit longer, then ripped apart. This kind of delayed and catastrophic failure is not uncommon. Heating vent might have softened them enough to make a difference, but the tire was damaged anyway (assuming warm, not very hot air). 

More puncture resistant tires may help prevent it in the future, but you cannot prevent it completely. 

The size of the hole in the tire, and the hole in the tube are irrelevant, its a symptom of the tire failure, not the cause. Once the tire fails, there is nothing stopping the air pressure inside the tube expanding - the tube cannot stop it, it gets pushed though the tire, making that hole bigger and blows up and pops just like a balloon, hence the bang. If you were listening closely, the bang was preceded by a short ripping sound.