  Transition metal oxides possess complex free energy surfaces with competing
degrees of freedom. Photoexcitation allows shaping of such rich energy
landscapes. In epitaxially strained $\mathrm{La_{0.67}Ca_{0.33}MnO_3}$, optical
excitation with a sub-100 fs pulse above $2\ \mathrm{mJ/cm^2}$ leads to a
persistent metallic phase below 100 K. Using single-shot optical and terahertz
spectroscopy, we show that this phase transition is a multi-step process. We
conclude that the phase transition is driven by partial charge order melting,
followed by growth of the persistent metallic phase on longer timescales. A
time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau model can describe the fast dynamics of the
reflectivity, followed by longer timescale in-growth of the metallic phase.
