They had always known the hill was dangerous, but danger felt distant until the flames arrived at their doors. In San Juan de Miraflores, plywood walls, tin roofs, and steep, tangled paths became a deadly maze as fire leapt from house to house. Some escaped with a single bag, others with only the clothes they were wearing. Behind them, entire lives collapsed into ash in less than an hour.

Now the smoke has cleared, but the silence it left is heavier than the fire. Families sleep in temporary shelters, staring at the ground where their homes once stood, trying to imagine starting again. Volunteers bring food, blankets, and medicine, yet what people crave most is stability, a promise that this won’t happen again. In the charred remains of Pamplona Alta, grief and resilience now share the same fragile, uncertain space.