"dried-up grass" "the desert was edged with sere vegetation" "shriveled leaves on the unwatered seedlings" "withered vines"
"The heat scorched the countryside"
"my eyebrows singed when I bent over the flames"
"The cook blackened the chicken breast" "The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece" "the flames scorched the ceiling"
"The sun parched the earth"