§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨               ~~~~~~~~~~~                §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨              $$           $$             §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨             =   BLUE FIRE   =            ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨             $$           $$              ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§               ~~~~~~~~~~~                ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§   HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS    ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 CLIMATE.                 §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  ¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨     HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE    ¨§§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨ STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE  ¨§¨§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨   FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE  ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨ SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE  §¨¨§¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨  BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE ¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§ WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨               =$$~~~~~$$=                ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨   FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT  ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§§§  STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨§   ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.  §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§ THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE,  §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨§   BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST    §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§    NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE     §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§ SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN  §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§    EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE   ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  ¨§§§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨     THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE    ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨      POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND     ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨   PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA    §¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨