When five firefighters were killed in a southern California wildfire last summer, sixty square miles of California�s lands were charred and lost as well. What�s more is that these five tragedies could have been prevented � it seems to have been caused by an act of arson. While these events outrage a community as well as those that lost loved ones, it only brings attention to the fact that the wildfire situation is out of control.

California experienced an unprecedented amount of forest fires in the southern and western regions of the state. With the warmer temperatures and fewer rainy days, conditions were ripe for the spread of human-caused fires as well as naturally occurring brush fires. Add into this mix the human factor of arson; the state�s forests and brush suffered a terrible loss. While many people still sit and wonder why, others are trying to find ways to prevent these tragedies.

While it�s true that forest fires can be a natural part of the cycle of forest life, to many can have a negative impact on a states economy as well as the environment. When a fire could have been maintained or prevented by the removal of dead trees, it becomes apparent that green living helps more than the environment � it helps prevent unnecessary loss of life and property.

When trees die within a forest, they become tinder. Nothing more than fuel for the next wildfire, these trees stand as kindling among the living vegetation and become the next fire season�s co-conspirators. However, some green-minded individuals are looking to change the way this cycle of nature is perpetuating new forest losses. In the making of aspen log furniture, no live or growing trees are taken for the production of �new� pieces of furniture. In fact, in making their rustic furniture, the twisted timber only uses trees that have been dead for at least a season, clearing the ground and allowing for new uninhibited tree growth.

The use of these dead trees results in less kindling for forest fires. Unlike traditional saw mills that clear cut forests to procure new wood for furniture and home building, green companies are looking to allow for the regeneration of forests in a natural manner � by not taking existing, living trees. Forests that have been cleaned of dead undergrowth will be able to increase the natural growing cycle, creating a bio-diverse environment that is lush and full of moisture � once again, limiting the effects of naturally-occurring forest fires.

The old saying from Smokey the Bear that, �Only you can prevent wildfires� rings true today for those that are looking for environmentally conscious ways of living. And through the rustic furniture trend, Smokey the Bear may have found a way to persevere his cause. It�s a cause that affects everyone, even if we�re not in the path of the fire itself, as a human race. We are in the path of the possibility and the responsibility to do something about it.

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Jessica grew up in Colorado and currently lives in the beautiful mountains of Utah. She attended Brigham Young University where she received her Bachelors degree. Jessica expanded her education by studying abroad in the Middle East and interning in Washington DC for 18 months. Currently she is employed where she oversees the production of aspen log and reclaimed timber furniture. See her websites at www.1cabinfurniture.com and www.thetwistedtimber.com