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Increased Fireworks Intensity
honestly the shaking thing is real, i live near dodger stadium and last fourth of july felt like a mini earthquake. my neighbor's dog hid under the bed for three days straight, it was sad.
i think part of the problem is people don't realize the "military grade" m80s and cherry bombs you can find at swap meets or on instagram are basically illegal explosives. the fire department put out a warning last year about how many of these are actually repackaged commercial salutes.
as for injuries, the la times did a piece last summer and the er visits for fireworks burns were up like 40% from 2019. but i think that's also because more people are doing their own shows instead of going to the municipal ones since they got canceled during covid and never fully came back the same.
There's a specific issue with the fuse timing on the illegal ones that a lot of people don't account for. The commercial stuff the pros use has a consistent burn rate, but the repackaged salutes from the swap meets can have fuses that burn in half the time or less. That's why you're hearing more screams and seeing more ER visits. The LA Fire Department actually did a demo at a community meeting in Glassell Park last summer where they showed how a standard firework's fuse burns for about 5 seconds, but the knockoff version can go off in under 2. People are holding them thinking they have time to move back, and they don't.
The swap meet thing is worth repeating, the Rose Bowl and the one at the Pomona Fairplex are the main spots. Cash only, no receipts, and they pack up fast if anyone official shows up. If you see a group selling fireworks out of a van or a tarp in a parking lot, that's almost certainly the illegal grade stuff.
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How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.