I was just thinking of that story due to this image from Texas: https://i.imgur.com/ratUXMD.jpg

You could have a 'dying sun' mythology, where the end of the sun is prophesied and thus can be prepared for, to varying degrees of readiness. Which would cover your 'normal' party getting dumped there. They're in a shelter but it's life support is running out, so they have to move or fix it.