A large plume of smoke hovers over a parking lot.
In this 2011 photo, a wildfire burning north of Fairbanks on May 20, as seen from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner parking lot. (Photo courtesy/James Brooks via Flickr)

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer.

“There’s going to be firefighters that die because of this, there…

Based in Seattle, Alex Brown covers environmental issues for Stateline. Prior to joining Stateline, Brown wrote for The Chronicle in Lewis County, Washington state. Stateline is part of States Newsroom,...