It looks like someone splashed water on the wood to put out the embers. They probably believed whatever they were trying to burn was finished, They didn't take your perceptive eyes into account. Rummaging through the charred debris, you find a leather back journal. It's front is burnt badly but not beyond repair with a thick piece of leather protecting the first page. As you flip through it you can see a lot of chicken scratch that barely legiable. Most of the pages have been torn out anyway.

[ I'll pocket it for later ]