OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – U.S. Forest Service workers are worrying about the upcoming wildfire season in Washington as layoff notices continue to be sent to federal employees.

Workers who maintained trails, removed combustible debris from forests, supported firefighters and secured funds for wildfire mitigation say staffing cuts threaten public safety.

The sentiments are especially being felt here in Washington, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, said President Trump ordered about 2,000 probationary, non-firefighting employees to be fired for efficiency’s sake. Their statement didn’t address the fired workers who were responsible for removing combustible fuels and other projects aiming to lower a wildfire’s intensity.

Currently, the Trump administration has frozen funds for certain wildfire prevention programs.

Washington Congresswoman Kim Schrier said that the Forest Service layoffs are already hurting the state, and it is only going to get worse.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources added that the firings forced them to develop contingency plans to deal with a degraded federal force this coming fire season.