In focus: Staff photos from Oct. 27- Nov. 3

Photo

Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Debby Stout of Rancho Bernardo cradles a portrait of son Stephen when he was about 18 months old; he's 25 now. It was one of the few personal items she recovered after losing her home to the San Diego fires. "We only got out with the clothes on our backs and our dogs. It didn't look like there was any hope for anything else," she said.

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