He looked around at a scene of awesome destruction. Thank God he had the sense to find an isolated place, driving well out into the desert. Because everything within a hundred yards had been crushed, ripped apart, thrown, or burned.

  The ubiquitous tumbleweeds? Scorched. The nearest Joshua tree? Kindling. The sand itself was gouged or dusted with ash or, in a few places, had been crystalized, turned to brown glass by extreme heat.

  Very extreme heat.

Monster, Chapter 19