§§§§§§¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨§§¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§§§¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          §¨¨§§¨§§§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§§§§                ~~~~~~~~~~~               §§¨§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨§§¨§¨¨¨             ††           ††              ¨¨§§§§¨§¨§
§§§§¨§§§¨¨            =   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.           ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§§¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§¨§§§
¨§§¨§§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨
¨§§§¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨§§§
§§¨¨§§§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨§¨¨