LOS ANGELES – At least 24 people have died in the fires that are rapidly spreading across California.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has since directed the deployment of 135 Texas first responders to help fight the West Coast fires and respond to emergencies.

The crews of first responders from Texas are made up of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, The Texas A&M Forest Service, the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System, and the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force.

The Alamo Strike Team, led by New Braunfels firefighter Jeremy VanAusdall, comprises 22 firefighters.

“We’re currently assigned to the Palisades fire in Malibu, California,” VanAusdall said.

The Alamo Strike Team has first responders from Bexar-Bulverde, Boerne, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Pharr, and Schertz.

“This is unprecedented weather for early January in California,” VanAusdall said. “To see weather patterns like this, to see this type of fire behavior this early in January. This is devastation beyond anything that I’ve ever seen.”

Three of the 22 members of the Alamo Strike Team are from New Braunfels.

“The pride for me is that our members aren’t just going to assist from an operations standpoint,” said the New Braunfels Fire Department Chief Ruy Lozano. “Many of them are leaders in those endeavors.”

One of those leaders is VanAusdall, who has been a firefighter for 25 years, and throughout those 25 years, he said nothing compares to what he is seeing in the Palisades right now.

“Humbled this morning to drive essentially from the West Side of the fire to the East Side of the fire all along the coastline and saw some pretty devastating sights,” VanAusdall said. “That’s something that I’ve never seen in my life for sure.”

While the devastation is unimaginable, the South Texas teams working on these fires are prepared.

“Last year alone, we did send out two different deployments,” said Chris Shadrock.

Shadrock works for the City of Boerne, which has one first responder fighting fires in California. The firefighter’s name is Santiago Anaya.

“Last year, we sent firefighters out to the Abilene-West Texas area, and then we also sent firefighters out to the Texas Panhandle Smokehouse Creek Fire, which ended up being the largest one in the state,” Shadrock said.

VanAusdall said they’re committed to 14 days of 24-hour and 24-hour off shifts. If South Texas services are needed beyond that timeframe, additional first responders are ready to serve.

“There is an anticipated wind event in the next in the next 24 hours,” VanAusdall said. “We’re essentially pre-positioning for initial attack on any fire that could happen, whether it’s from this fire or another one.”

He also said first responders are currently in the best possible scenario to attack these fires as wind speeds increase.

“There are over 5,000 firefighters assigned to this fire,” VanAusdall said. “There are crews strategically positioned around the entire perimeter of this fire today.”

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.

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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.

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