##@§§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§§@##
§%«..¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨..«%§
##@§§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§§@##
##@§§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§§@##
@§§\««.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.««\§§@
@§%\«.¨¨¨¨               «««««««««««                ¨¨¨¨.«\%§@
@@§%«.¨¨¨¨              %%           %%             ¨¨¨¨.«%§@@
§§§%«..¨¨¨            \   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.           ¨¨¨..«\%§§
@§\«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«\§@
###@§§\«.¨                                          ¨.«\§§@###
§§\..¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨..\§§
##@§§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§§@##
##@§§%\«.¨                                          ¨.«\%§§@##