Texas
North Texas volunteers helping California wildfire victims sift through the ashes
California wildfires’ death toll raises to 24
Winds may pick up in Los Angeles again today, potentially stoking the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and left two dozen dead. Here’s what we know:
DALLAS – Many in North Texas are working to mobilize to help people in California who have lost everything in the wildfires.
The fires have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
North Texas Volunteers in California
Volunteers from North Texas are on the front lines working to help people sift through the ashes while others are working to help Los Angeles make room for hundreds of displaced dogs and cats.
Local perspective:
A group of volunteers known as Texans on Mission arrived in California early Sunday morning.
“Having volunteers wash those clothes while you get a warm meal is like getting a hug from people you don’t know,” said spokesperson Rand Jenkins.
Texans on Mission are assessing the best locations to set up.
“Our next step is ash out. That is the most emotionally draining,” Jenkins said. “You are sitting in the ashes of someone’s home and looking for things they want to find: memorabilia, photos, jewelry. You scoop a bucket of ashes and sift and hope those things were not completely turned to ash. Once you find it, they cry and tell you why it’s important.”
Helping Overcrowded Pet Shelters
The Humane Society of North Texas and Wings of Rescue are working to help Los Angeles clear its shelters of homeless pets to make room for the hundreds needing to be reunited with owners.
Cassie Davidson is the senior director of both organizations.
“I flew into Los Angeles on Friday night. And when we were flying over the mountains, it was so dark outside. It was dark in the airplane, and then it wasn’t,” she recalled. “The skies were just lit up. It was like an inferno. You could see the wildfires from the air, and my heart just sank.”
Davidson says they were able to fly out more than 160 pets over the weekend.
“Shelters like the Pasadena Humane Society are 500% over capacity right now,” she said. “They’ve got so many medical cases coming in that we have got to get these pets cleared out that have been waiting for adoption.”
What you can do:
Churches are calling on members to give financially.
“There are several churches we partner with in the LA area that have been partners with us for the past 10-20 years,” said Concord Church Pastor Bryan Carter. “We wanted to do a special offering up and above your regular offering to be a blessing.”
Davidson says many owners were separated from their pets when they were at work as the fires moved into their neighborhood. She says there is an emergency need for foster homes in North Texas to help.
“There is a plea to the community of North Texas,” she said. “If you could open your home. if you could donate, this is how you can make a difference.”
More than 150 homeless dogs and cats will be arriving from Los Angeles in North Texas Sunday afternoon.
If you are able to provide a foster home, contact the Humane Society of North Texas.
They also need Hills Science Diet food and pet beds. Those donations can be dropped off at any Humane Society of North Texas location.
The Red Cross is also taking donations for those affected by the California wildfires.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Texans on Mission, the Humane Society of North Texas, Wings of Rescue and previous FOX 4 reports.
“Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” said Texas A-G regarding terrorist org. CAIR.
Air traffic controllers lost communication for about 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others before it crashed off the Texas coast, killing at least five people, Mexico’s president said Tuesday.
Authorities initially believed the plane had landed safely at its destination in Galveston, near Houston, before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. A search-and-resuce operation in waters near Galveston pulled two survivors from the plane’s wreckage, Mexico’s Navy said, while one remained missing.
Four of the eight people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child, Mexico’s Navy said. Two of the passengers were affiliated with a nonprofit that helps transport Mexican children with severe burns to a hospital in Galveston.
“My condolences to the families of the sailors who unfortunately died in this accident and to the people who were traveling on board,” Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing, without elaborating on a possible cause. “What happened is very tragic.”
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker said at least five aboard had died but did not identify which passengers.
The plane crashed Monday afternoon in a bay near the base of the causeway connecting Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders rushed to the scene near the popular beach destination about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.
Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He picked up two police officers who guided him through thick fog to a nearly submerged plane. Decker jumped into the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.
“I couldn’t believe. She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”
He said he also pulled out a man seated in front of her who had already died. Both were wearing civilian clothes.
It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. The area has been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist. He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility.
Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation. In a social media post, the foundation said: “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were at the crash site Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said, and a spokesperson for the NTSB said the agency was gathering information about the crash. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol responded the crash.
A small Mexican Navy plane transporting a 1-year-old medical patient along with seven others crashed Monday near Galveston, killing at least two people, officials said.
Emergency officials rescued four people and were searching for two that were inside the aircraft, Mexico’s Navy said in a statement to The Associated Press. Four of the people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, according to the Navy. It was not immediately clear which ones were missing and which had been killed.
Two of the people aboard were members from the Michou and Mau Foundation, which is a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children who have suffered severe burns.
The crash took place Monday near the base of a causeway near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles southeast of Houston.
Mexico’s Navy said in a statement that the plane was helping with a medical mission and had an “accident.” It promised to investigate the cause of the crash.
The Navy is helping local authorities with the search and rescue operation, it said in a post on the social media platform X.
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have arrived at the scene of the crash, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol were responding to the crash.
“The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available,” the sheriff’s office said in a post on Facebook, adding that the public should avoid the area so emergency responders can work safely.
Galveston is an island that is a popular beach destination.
It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. However, the area has been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility. The foggy conditions are expected to persist through Tuesday morning.
Boston, MA8 minutes ago
Bruins Close Homestand with 6-2 Loss to Canadiens | Boston Bruins
Denver, CO14 minutes ago
16th Street sees more foot traffic just in time for last minute holiday shopping
Seattle, WA20 minutes ago
Hannah Murphy makes 37 saves as Seattle Torrent beat Victoire 2-1
San Diego, CA26 minutes ago
Sex trafficking sting in San Diego County leads to 10 arrests, 19 victims found
Milwaukee, WI32 minutes ago
16 music and theater performances to see in Milwaukee in January 2026
Florida1 year ago
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Connecticut2 years ago
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
Oregon2 years ago
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Virginia1 year ago
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Education2 years ago
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
News7 hours ago
A 3-D Look Inside Trump’s Revamped Oval Office
Politics8 hours ago
Trump admin sues Illinois Gov. Pritzker over laws shielding migrants from courthouse arrests
World9 hours ago
Europeans show solidarity with Denmark after Trump’s Greenland threat
News10 hours ago
Explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home kills at least 2, governor says
Videos18 hours ago
What does Christmas look like for Ukraine? | Global News Podcast
-
Iowa1 week agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Maine1 week agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland1 week agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
New Mexico1 week agoFamily clarifies why they believe missing New Mexico man is dead
-
South Dakota1 week agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago‘Love being a pedo’: Metro Detroit doctor, attorney, therapist accused in web of child porn chats
-
Health1 week ago‘Aggressive’ new flu variant sweeps globe as doctors warn of severe symptoms
-
Maine1 week agoFamily in Maine host food pantry for deer | Hand Off