In the national forest surrounding the Big Bear area after the last big killing of trees from the beatle most of the downed trees and sone of the standing trees were cut/collected, picked up by helicopter and dropped to an area to create mulch. I believe it was a federal grant during George Bush’s presidency. The trees do need to be thinned since we haven’t allowed nature to take its course for way too many years. Now instead of a fire blowing thru and burning the underbrush, downed trees and lower branches of trees the fire has too much fuel from all of the above and the fire crowns to the tree tops. Once crowning occurs it’s gonna burn like crazy and travel.