Texas
North Texas firefighter draws from L.A. experience ahead of fire danger here
On Friday, all of DFW will be in the zone for critical fire danger. In North Texas, crews that were deployed to help with the historic Los Angeles fires are drawing from their experience there.
The Krum Fire Department in Denton County deployed two firefighters for more than two weeks to assist with the Palisades and Eaton fires in L.A. While the landscape in North Texas is different, officials say one lesson stands out: high winds can change everything in an instant.
Krum Fire Captain Hector Hernandez was on the ground for 18 days. What he witnessed will stay with him for some time.
“Kind of seeing fire behavior coming off the Pacific like that, interesting just seeing the kind of damage it can do in such a short amount of time,” he said.
Hernandez especially remembers how the Los Angeles fires were fueled by dry conditions and very strong winds.
“The more wind we get, the more favorable it’s going to be for fire conditions. So that little spark you have from your welder can take off into a grass fire in no time,” he said. “Once it finds what it likes in terms of fuel, wind conditions, humidity, there’s not a lot we can do on the ground to stop it.”
Michelle Mendoza knows all too well how quickly life can change from shifting winds. She lived with her husband and eight children in Altadena when the fires broke out.
“I think it took probably about six hours, and then my house was completely destroyed,” she said.
The family of 10 is now in neighboring Pasadena, crammed into a one-bedroom apartment. Mendoza also remembers how powerful the winds were just hours before the fires spread, and she had this message for North Texas.
“It was very windy. It was some branches all over the place,” Mendoza said. “The winds were traveling really far. So, it’s something not to be played with. So, if you do see the winds, try to be really on alert.”
Hernandez said he’s hoping for the best, but Krum and neighboring departments are prepared.
“You kind of look at the direction that the fire is burning in and try to find any natural barriers, whether it’s a body of water, roadways, major highways, see if that’s a major point to stop it at,” he said.
Hernandez said if natural barriers don’t work, the next step would be getting ahead of the fire and starting to dig dozer lines.
The Texas Longhorns entered the 2025 season with more expectations than any team has had to deal with in recent memory.
Many among the media were ready to crown the team and quarterback Arch Manning before they even played one game. Of course, those unrealistic expectations were never met, even though the team finished with a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win over the Michigan Wolverines.
2026 is heading in the same direction for the Longhorns. Many believe head coach Steve Sarkisian has the most talented team in the country. But in order to fix the issues from this past season, the Longhorns needed to fix one issue that has cost them in the past.
Changing The Narrative
One of the biggest issues the Longhorns had last season was the play of the offensive line. It was apparent in the first game of the season against the Ohio State Buckeyes that Manning didn’t have the pocket time needed to make big plays.
This offseason, Coach Sarkisian went out and found two massive transfer portal additions that should completely change the narrative on this offensive line.
It starts with potential starting right tackle Melvin Siani. Siani has spent time with the Temple Owls and last season with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Longhorns are set at left tackle with Trevor Goosby, who could play himself into being a top 10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. If the team can get competent play from Siani, the offense will be able to open up the playbook, and the world may finally see Manning at his college peak.
The Longhorns also went out and found a potential fix at left guard for the 2026 season. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers transfer Laurence Seymore could be another strong patch for the holes in the offensive line.
After spending the first two seasons of his college career with the Miami Hurricanes, Seymore made stops with the Akron Zips and the Hilltoppers.
Of course, the one concern with Seymore is wondering if he can compete at the SEC level coming from the C-USA.
This season for the Longhorns starts and stops with the play of Manning. Coach Sarkisian and the rest of this coaching staff understood that protecting their quarterback was the most important goal when building the 2026 roster.
The Longhorns are going to be leaning on veteran talent to protect their quarterback, and it may very well be the best decision they made this offseason.
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U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico promise to serve all in El Paso
U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico discusses key public issues in Texas during the first stop of his Frontera Tour July 11, 2026 in El Paso.
The two candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas are making stops across the Lone Star State this week.
Democrat James Talarico and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will head to South Texas as the two go head-to-head in the Nov. 3 General Election to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Cornyn lost his reelection bid to Paxton in the Republican Primary Election.
The campaign tour continues for Talarico after hosting townhalls in El Paso and Marfa as part of his “Frontera Tour,” while Paxton is holding a “Rally in the Valley” in McAllen.
Here’s where the candidates will be in Texas.
Paxton heads to McAllen for ‘Rally in the Valley’
Paxton is heading to McAllen for his “Rally in the Valley” event at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. He’ll be joined by National Border Security Council President Paul Perez, TX-28 Nominee Tano Tijerina, and TX-34 Nominee Eric Flores.
The all-ages event will take place at University Draft House Townlake McAllen, 100 West Business 83, and spots can be reserved at eventbrite.com.
Talarico to visit Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo
Talarico continues his “Frontera” tour with a stop in Del Rio on Monday, July 14.
“Gather with your family, friends, and neighbors to hear from James about taking his fight against Big Money and corruption to Washington. Together, we can win back power for working people in a system that’s rigged for the ultra-wealthy,” the event page states, adding that the program will be short and voters can greet Talarico after.
Here are the stops on Talarico’s “Frontera” tour:
Monday, July 13:
- 3 p.m. Memo’s Restaurant, 804 E Losoya St. in Del Rio
- 7 p.m. International Center For Trade, 3295 Bob Rogers Drive in Eagle Pass
Tuesday, July 14:
- 6 p.m. La Posada – San Agustin Ballroom, 1000 Zaragoza St. 107 in Laredo
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
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