#,#,#,#,#,                                          ##,#,##,,,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,,#,,#
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,##,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,,#,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,##,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ,#,#,,#,#,
#,#,#,#,#,              ^^           ^^             ,#,#,##,#,
#,#,#,#,#,            =   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.           ,#,#,,#,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,##,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,,#,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,##,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,,#,#,
#,#,#,#,#,                                          ,#,#,##,#,