Joey Chestnut will compete in a Fourth of July hot dog eating contest after all — against soldiers at a Texas Army base.

Chestnut, who became known for his dominance at the annual 10-minute Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in Brooklyn’s Coney Island, was disqualified in June from the competition after becoming a sponsor for Impossible Foods, a rival company that sells a variety of plant-based meat.

Refusing to sit at home idle, Chestnut will take his competitive eating talents to Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. There he will compete against soldiers in a five-minute hot dog eating contest.

Chestnut said he hopes the soldiers will come ready to compete, adding that he will try to beat the combined total of hot dogs eaten by four soldiers, according to a report.

“If they (each) break ten, that’d be pretty good,” Chestnut said.

Ahead of the event, he prepared for the competition by fasting on water, lemon juice, and liquified calories.

The hot dog eating contest will be part of Fort Bliss’s “Pop Goes the Fort” celebration, where soldiers and their families will also take in fireworks and performances by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the 1st Armored Division Band.

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Chestnut had competed against the world’s best competitive eaters in the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest since 2005. He held the title of champion since 2016 and set the current record of eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes in 2021. Last year, Chestnut won the contest, eating 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

The hot dog eating champion will also compete in Netflix‘s live hot dog eating contest airing on Labor Day.

Illegal fireworks are a predictable crime that Southern California law enforcement agencies are tasked with responding to come nightfall as Fourth of July celebrations get underway.

“It’s an all hands on deck day for us,” Lt. Thoby Archer with the Huntington Beach Police Department told the Orange County Register. “We’re stretched thin like every coastal city is.”

Law enforcement and fire agencies experience a rise in service calls on July Fourth each year due to illegal fireworks activity, fireworks-related injuries, and fires.

Last year, dispatchers in Huntington Beach, which is a coastal community about 35 miles south of Los Angeles, reportedly received more than 700 calls related to fireworks, an increase of 250 calls compared to 2022.

Archer said his department planned an increase of patrols in neighborhoods that have previously had problems with illegal fireworks.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes also said his department receives a 200% increase in 911 calls on July Fourth each year, “especially when it gets to the sundown hours when fireworks start to detonate.”

Riverside, a city about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, also beefed up its patrols. Riverside City Councilman Jim Perry said the city created task forces that are comprised of a police officer, a firefighter, and a code enforcement officer.

“That’s their sole responsibility,” Perry said. “The exception to that would be if the officer is the closest unit to an emergency call.”

Other cities, including Corona and San Bernardino, noted that they also created special teams to patrol their jurisdictions and investigate those who sell illegal fireworks ahead of the holiday.

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Fines for illegal fireworks can range from $1,000 to as high as $50,000 in some Southern California cities. 

To help combat the use of illegal fireworks, several law enforcement agencies created a phone app that their residents can use to report illegal fireworks activity.