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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that flags at the state Capitol building in Austin and at all state office buildings will be raised to full-staff next Monday, Jan. 20, to mark President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

The move comes despite the official order by President Biden after the Dec. 29 death of former President Jimmy Carter that flags across the country would fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period.

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Abbott said in his announcement that “on January 20, our great nation will celebrate our democratic tradition of transferring power to a new President by inaugurating the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. As we unite our country and usher in this new era of leadership, I have ordered all flags to be raised to full-staff at the Texas Capitol and all state buildings for the inauguration of President Trump.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION AND INAUGURATION

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Trump attend a briefing with state officials and law enforcement before touring the U.S.-Mexico border wall on June 30, 2021, in Weslaco, Texas. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

“While we honor the service of a former President, we must also celebrate the service of an incoming President and the bright future ahead for the United States of America,” added the conservative three-term Texas governor.

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An Abbott adviser told Fox News that flags at the Texas Capitol and at state offices would resume flying at half-staff on Jan. 21.

The flag-draped casket of former President Jimmy Carter is carried into the National Cathedral for a funeral service, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“Texas continues to mourn with our fellow Americans across the country over the passing of former President Jimmy Carter,” Abbott said in his statement. “President Carter’s steadfast leadership left a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations to come, which together as a nation we honor by displaying flags at half-staff for 30 days.”

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According to the U.S. flag code, U.S. flags are flown at half-staff for a 30-day period to mark the passing of a current or former president, at federal government buildings, military installations and vessels, and at U.S. embassies and other facilities around the world.

Flags fly at half-staff in honor of former President Jimmy Carter at Union Station in Washington, D.C., Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Since the U.S. flag code dictates that no flag should fly higher than the American flag on the same or nearby poles, state flags also are lowered during such mourning periods.

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Trump earlier this month claimed on social media that “Democrats are all ‘giddy’” about flags being flown at half-staff during his inauguration.

“Nobody wants to see this,” Trump argued. “No American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The U.S. flag code isn’t mandatory, which means that Trump could technically override it once he’s inaugurated as president.

The U.S. flag is shown at the Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach, Fla., while a U.S. Coast Guard boat patrols around the vicinity, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. U.S. flags at President-elect Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club are back to flying at full height. Flags are supposed to fly at half-staff through the end of January out of respect for former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The Associated Press observed that a flag at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida was flying at full height on Monday.

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The flag had been flying at half-staff, but had been raised in the days after Carter’s funeral service at National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and burial in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, both of which took place on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – More than 22,000 first responders are working to extinguish the deadly Palisades and Eaton wildfires while reacting quickly to new fires that emerge as Santa Ana winds return to Southern California.

Below is the latest information on the major fires and key resources to assist wildfire victims and evacuees.

• Palisades Fire: Acres: 23,713 | Containment: 17% | Structures Lost: 10,000 (est.)
• Eaton Fire: Acres: 14,117 | Containment: 35% | Structures Lost: 7,000 (est.)
• Key Maps: Damage Assessments | Palisades Fire 3D | Eaton Fire 3D

For wildfire victims

Crews have worked non-stop for nearly a week straight now in their battle with the deadly Eaton Fire, which was 33% contained at 14,117 acres as of Monday night.

When the fire first broke out on the night of Jan. 7, thousands of people were forced to evacuate in a rush as the flames, some as tall as 100 feet, ripped through the Altadena region. Firefighters rapidly put up a heroic effort to save as many lives, homes and land as they could.

Although thousands of homes have since been lost, one neighborhood is largely intact thanks to the fighting efforts of a group of U.S. Forest Service firefighters based in the Angeles National Forest.

That same U.S. Forest Service team on Monday provided an inside look at how they managed to save homes they were defending that first night near Kinclair Drive in Pasadena.

In the footage provided by the crew, the intimidating blaze was both seen and heard – but it did not seem to phase the brave firefighters as they adamantly organized their attack.

“Jonathan, careful, we can’t run out of water,” shouted a firefighter, giving orders to his crew over the loud raging of the massive flames merely feet away.

“When we first arrived on scene, we were faced with walls of flames 50 to 100 feet, wind gusts in excess of 50 miles an hour,” said Robert Robledo, a U.S. Forest Service captain. “I’ve been fighting fire for 21 years and this is probably the worst I’ve ever seen the wind gusts, the ember casts and flame impingement on structures.”

Members of this U.S. Forest Service wildfire unit were first on scene and worked tirelessly for the next 36 hours straight before taking a brief rest, and then attacking flames on another front on Mount Wilson.

“We’re coming to a chaotic scene and we’re trying to bring calmness to everything,” team member Eduardo Cerna told KTLA’s Chris Wolfe. “As we’re coming in, we’re noticing that a lot of people are rushing out.”

As the firefight continues amid fears of strong winds rebuilding – these crews are determined to keep moving forward.

“Our main goal is to try to make sure public safety, life and property are good, and then that way we can safely do our job without having to worry about life, and then we can save as many homes as possible,” said Cerna.

An electrical transmission tower in Eaton Canyon is under investigation as the possible cause of the deadly fire that bears its name.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department announced the repopulation of communities impacted by the Eaton Fire effective as of 3 p.m. on Monday.

The areas are still under evacuation warnings include:

• inside the unincorporated L.A. County area of the Kinneloa Mesa Community
• South of Heights Road to New York Drive and East of Outpost Lane to Sierra Madre Villa Avenue

Places still closed to residents include the remaining areas of the unincorporated community of Altadena.