Barbara Melone saw “huge, black billowing” clouds of smoke from her eighth-floor balcony at the Sunset Plaza Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, at the start of the week.

“It was a normal day, and we started realizing there were all these fires,” said Melone, 77, who grew up in Monroeville and now lives in West Chester.

Melone and her partner, Jess Hohman, of Huntingdon, traveled to Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 13. They plan to stay until March 13, despite tensions in the area following the death of cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes on Sunday. The Mexican military operation sparked a surge in violence that left many tourists stranded in Puerto Vallarta and other parts of Mexico.

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh couples visiting Puerto Vallarta said things in the city largely have returned to normal.

Bob and Veronica Haberkost, of Richland, have been staying at Sheraton Buganvilias Puerto Vallarta since Feb. 14. Like many tourists, they have sheltered in place since the U.S. State Department instructed Americans traveling to parts of Mexico to remain in residences or hotels.

“It’s probably something that needed to be done, given the cartel,” said Bob Haberkost, 72.

Veronica Haberkost said they have not encountered issues beyond staffing shortages at the resort caused by employees being unable to travel to and from the property because of blockades. However, she said she is unsure whether conditions have been as safe for local residents.

The Haberkosts said they planned to attend a food tour off the resort’s grounds Tuesday afternoon, and while their American Airlines flight back to Pittsburgh on Friday was still scheduled, they would be happy to stay an extra day if given an airline voucher.

Carol Campbell of Winfield has been staying at Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive & Spa with her husband, Dave, for a sales event.

The Campbells arrived Saturday night and haven’t left the resort since. On Sunday, they heard the sound of explosions and saw military helicopters.

Neither reads nor speaks languages besides English, so they were translating the local news using Microsoft to learn what was happening.

They sheltered in their room for much of Sunday. Campbell, 61, said she felt upset because before the trip she had convinced her husband — who is 80, physically disabled and reluctant to travel — to join her on the work trip.

On Tuesday, she told TribLive that she felt guilty for potentially putting him at risk. He told her it was better to be together inside the resort than worried about one another alone in different countries.

“I did notice there was some armed security at the resort entrances,” Campbell said, but added that the resort staff seemed relaxed.

While the roads and schools around the resort reopened Tuesday, Campbell said, she doesn’t think she will feel safe enough to travel outside of the resort.

“I feel really sorry for these people because now people aren’t going to come here, and this (tourism) is their livelihood,” she said.