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In the sprawling, vertical labyrinth of Pamplona Alta, one of Lima’s most densely populated hillside settlements, life is defined by a precarious balance between community resilience and structural vulnerability. On a Saturday that began with the typical rhythms of a vibrant neighborhood—children laughing in narrow dirt corridors, the aroma of mid-day meals wafting from open windows, and neighbors exchanging pleasantries—an unforeseen catastrophe transformed the peaceful atmosphere into a landscape of fire and ash. What started as a plume of smoke from a single dwelling rapidly evolved into a ferocious inferno, threatening hundreds of families and exposing the fragile nature of life on the slopes.
