#@&=~~....                                          ....~~=&@#
##@&@=†~^.                                          .^~†=@&@##
&@@@=†~^..                                          ..^~†=@@@&
##@&@=†~^.                                          .^~†=@&@##
&@=†^.....                                          .....^†=@&
#@&&@=†~^.               ~~~~~~~~~~~                .^~†=@&&@#
##@&@=†~^.             ==           ==              .^~†=@&@##
##@&@=†~^.            †   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.           .....~~=&&
##@&@=†~^.                                          .^~†=@&@##
##@&@=†~^.                                          .^~†=@&@##
#@@=~~~~^.                                          .^~~~~=@@#
#&=~~.....                                          .....~~=&#
&@†††~~~^.                                          .^~~~†††@&