By coincidence, a research ship pulled up to Los Angeles as the deadly wildfires were burning thousands of homes, incinerating plastic, paint, asbestos and car batteries.

Follow wildfire updates in North and South Carolina, where blazes erupted over the weekend. The largest stemmed from a forest fire near Myrtle Beach.

Piles of black ash lay in the shadow of the cross outside Friendship Baptist Church. It’s just a small part of the damage from a fire that officials said appeared to be set on purpose.