‘Nothing to go back to’: the way of life lost to New Mexico’s historic fire

The largest wildfire in state history has torn through centuries-old rural communities, displacing thousands

For Kathryn Mahan and her husband, Jamie, the front steps of their home in the northern New Mexico village of Las Dispensas were a family touchstone. The couple built the house themselves in 2015 and fashioned the steps out of concrete blocks. Every year they photographed their daughter, Rayyah, on them - as Rayyah grew, the steps stayed the same.

The largest wildfire in New Mexico history has suddenly changed all that.