The fight to keep the ash tree-killing emerald ash borer out of Wisconsin is heating up thanks to potentially infested firewood from an Illinois company.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued an Emergency Action Notice Tuesday to Menards to remove all Taylors Wood Products Inc. firewood. There is also a national recall on all Taylors wood.

The problem is, according to the Department of Agriculture, most of the wood was already sold and it is now urging anyone who purchased the wood -- which was not treated to prevent the transportation of this invasive, tree-killing insect -- to burn it as soon as possible to kill any potential ash borers.

"Emerald ash borer is an expert hitchhiker in firewood and could devastate Wisconsin's ash resources in both our forests and urban areas," Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen said in a press release. "By burning any Taylors brand firewood purchased at Menards as quickly as possible, Wisconsin residents can help slow the spread of this killer beetle and its possible introduction into the state.

"While EAB has not been detected in Wisconsin, we need to do everything we can to not help it get here," Nilsestuen said. "Where the beetle is located, it's about to start emerging from ash trees or ash firewood. People who bought this product should make every effort to use the firewood by May 1, 2007. If the wood is infested, burning it will kill the beetle inside."

If you think this isn't your problem, consider that there are roughly 717 million ash trees in Wisconsin's forests and about 20 percent of all street trees in the state are ash trees.