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.

TEXAS CITY, Texas – A Texas City family is forced to bury two of its loved ones Monday morning after investigators say a teenager accidentally shot and killed his brother.

SEE ALSO: Friend tells deputies he accidentally shot two teenage brothers, killing one of them in north Harris County

Police are still gathering information, but said they were called to a home on 10th Avenue and 3rd Street a little after 1:15 a.m.

Texas City PD Chief Landis Cravens said it all started when an unidentified 15-year-old accidentally shot his 17-year-old brother, and the boy’s father witnessed the entire incident and tried to save him.

However, the chief said the father suffered a heart attack and died as a result.

SUGGESTED: NE Houston family loses 2 children after teen accidentally kills 11-year-old before turning gun on himself

As of this writing, no additional information has been shared, but an investigation remains underway.

The Texas A&M Aggies continue to have a busy offseason after finishing the first regular season under head coach Mike Elko.

Texas A&M hosted 2026 five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell for a visit over the weekend and clearly impressed one of the best players in the recruiting class. Cantwell told On3’s Chad Simmons that he “likes the Aggies a lot.”

“The visit was good,” Cantwell told Simmons. “I enjoyed College Station and getting to see everything I needed to see. … They made me feel like a priority this weekend. … The development, culture, coaching staff and continued interest make the Aggies a contender. We will see how the official visits shake out, but I like the Aggies a lot.”

Cantwell, a product of Nixa (Missouri), is the No. 1 offensive tackle and the No. 3 overall player in the 2026 class, per 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. Name a program and he’s likely received an offer from them. He’s also taken unofficial visits with Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, TCU and Tennessee.

Both of his parents were Olympians, so it’s not too surprising that 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks described Cantwell as having “a stellar athletic profile.”

“Tall, big-framed offensive tackle prospect with a stellar athletic profile and pedigree who’s an advanced mover at this stage of development,” Brooks wrote.

If the Aggies can beat out the rest of the country and land a commitment from Cantwell at some point in the future, he’d join a Texas A&M 2026 recruiting class that features four-star talents like receiver Aaron Gregory, quarterback Helaman Casuga, tight ends Xavier Tiller and Caleb Tafua, edge rusher Samu Moala, defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin and receiver Madden Williams along with three-stars like safety Markel Ford and cornerback Ryan Gilbert.

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