§¨§¨§§§¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§§
¨§§§§¨¨§§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨§¨§§§§¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨§§§
§§§§§§§¨¨§                «««««««««««               §§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§              ==           ==             §¨§¨§§¨§§¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨§§§             ;   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.           §§§§¨¨¨§§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨§§¨
¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨§§§¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§§¨