Centuries of stamping out wildfires in the American West has created some areas of unnaturally dense forests, which become more of a wildfire risk. In response, some wildfire mitigation efforts include actually thinning the forests.

The problem is, the thinned-out trees turn into stacks of sticks that become a fire hazard of their own. Luckily, some environmental scientists believe mushrooms could be a solution to this fiery cycle.

For a closer look, Holly Quan spoke with  Zach Hedstrom, Founder and owner of Boulder Mushroom, a mycology center in Boulder County Colorado.