¨,«:%$£@##                                          ##@£$%:«,¨
¨,«::%$$@#                                          #@$$%::«,¨
,«:%$£@###                                          ###@£$%:«,
¨,«:%$£@##                                          ##@£$%:«,¨
¨,«:%$£@@@                                          @@@£$%:«,¨
¨,«:%$£@##               «««««««««««                ##@£$%:«,¨
¨,«:%%$$$@              %%           %%             @$$$%%:«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,:%£@            :   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.           £%%%:«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«::$$£#                                          #£$$::«,¨¨
¨,«:%$£@@@                                          @@@£$%:«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,:%$@                                          @$%:,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«:%$£@##                                          ##@£$%:«,¨
¨,«:%$£@##                                          ##@£$%:«,¨