The Trump administration’s decision to fire 3,400 workers and pause funds used for wildfire prevention comes as wildfires are growing more dangerous and frequent.

The job cuts, which amount to roughly 10 percent of the agency’s work force, could hobble the Forest Service, which was already struggling to remove vegetation across its vast land holdings at a pace that matches the growing threat from fires, according to current and former federal employees, as well as private companies and nonprofit organizations that work on thinning forested lands.