##¶#£§=~^¨                                          ¨^~=§£#¶##
#¶#£§=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=§£#¶#
¶#£§=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=§£#¶
#£§=~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~=§£#
¶#£§=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=§£#¶
#¶#£§=~^¨¨                ~~~~~~~~~~~               ¨¨^~=§£#¶#
##¶#£§=~^¨              §§           §§             ¨^~=§£#¶##
#¶#£§=~^¨¨             =   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.           ¨¨^~=§£#¶#
¶#£§=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=§£#¶
#£§=~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~=§£#
¶#£§=~^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^~=§£#¶
#¶#£§=~^¨¨                                          ¨¨^~=§£#¶#
##¶#£§=~^¨                                          ¨^~=§£#¶##