¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†***$¤#                                          #¤$***†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨¨¨,,««†*¤                «««««««««««               ¤*†««,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«††$##             **           **              ##$††«,¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###            †   BLUE FIRE   †             ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###             **           **              ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###               «««««««««««                ###¤$*†«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,†*¤¤                                          ¤¤*†,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤¤##  LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT ##¤¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###           MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨¨¨,†**$¤#                                          #¤$**†,¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###     THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF      ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ###¤$*†«,¨
¨¨¨,,««†$¤    IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE   ¤$†««,,¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$¤###      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ###¤$*†«,¨
¨,«†*$$¤##   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ##¤$$*†«,¨
¨¨,««*$$¤¤    HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS   ¤¤$$*««,¨¨
¨,«†*¤####    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.           ¤*††««,¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨
¨¨,,,,«†*¤                                          ¤*†«,,,,¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«*¤¤#                                          #¤¤*«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,,†$##                                          ##$†,,¨¨¨¨
¨,«†*$¤###                                          ###¤$*†«,¨