¨,-\†%§###                                          ###§%†\-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨--††§                                          §††--¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\†%%§§§                                          §§§%%†\-,¨
¨,-\†%§###                                          ###§%†\-,¨
¨,-\†%§###                                          ###§%†\-,¨
¨,-\†%§§##                -----------               ##§§%†\-,¨
¨¨¨¨,\\%§§              ††           ††             §§%\\,¨¨¨¨
¨,-\†%§###             \   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.           ###§%†\-,¨
¨,-\†%§###                                          ###§%†\-,¨
¨,-\††%%§#                                          #§%%††\-,¨
¨¨¨¨,\\†§§                                          §§†\\,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-†§                                          §†-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\††%%##                                          ##%%††\-,¨