,,,~=†£¤£@                                          @£¤£†=~,,,
,,,,~=†£¤£                                          £¤£†=~,,,,
,,,,,~=†£¤                                          ¤£†=~,,,,,
,,,,,,~=†£                                          £†=~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=†                                          †=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~=                ~~~~~~~~~~~               =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~             ††           ††              ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,             =   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.           £¤£†=~,,,,
,,,,,~=†£¤                                          ¤£†=~,,,,,
,,,,,,~=†£                                          £†=~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=†                                          †=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~=                                          =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,