It was a wildfire unlike any other in the history of Chile and Pastor Mango and his wife, Maria, were lucky to escape with their lives.

“It was so quick, so quick that it took seconds,” Maria explained. “The fire quickly spread and moved around behind the houses consuming everything. We heard lots of firetrucks and then the sound of helicopters.”

Afterwards, when the couple returned to their house, they weren’t prepared for what they found.

“I got here with my husband and it was shocking. I think no one expected it,” she said, her voice quivering. “I saw my two neighbors. They were dead there below my yard.”

These photos taken by Maria show what was left of their home and belongings.

"We thought, how can we possibly start over after we had spent so much time and money building our

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