After the Fire: Community Struggles and Hope on Maestro Rodrigo Street

Desolated was the word José Luis Mas used to describe the mood surrounding the block that burned last night along Maestro Rodrigo street. Standing at the doors of the SH Palace hotel, he spoke with reporters about the stark reality facing his neighbors who lost their homes in the blaze. When the flames finally subsided, the sense of loss hit hard. The moment a person realizes everything they owned is gone is a moment filled with fear, uncertainty, and a heavy weight. For many, the emotional shock is only part of the challenge. The practical task of starting over begins the very next day, and Mas fears that as time passes, memories will cling to the past while lives remain paused in the present, waiting for a path forward. The tail end of the night finds him squarely in that liminal space between what was and what is to come, hoping for steady ground to stand on again.