Sirens tore through the darkness, sharp and relentless, as the city erupted into chaos. What had been an ordinary night shattered in minutes. Flames leapt from building to building, swallowing streets in waves of orange and red, while thick smoke rolled through neighborhoods like a suffocating fog. People poured out of their homes in panic—some barefoot, some half-dressed—coughing, crying, clutching children, pets, and whatever they could grab in those few terrifying seconds. No one knew where the fire would go next, or whether there would be anything left to return to. Continue reading…
