US faces alarming firefighter shortage during peak wildfire season, data reveals.

As wildfires continue to rage across the United States, critics say the Trump administration’s cuts have forced firefighters to do other jobs, such as cleaning toilets.

The U.S. Forest Service has faced criticism from current and former employees, who say federal cuts under the Trump administration have left firefighters short-staffed as the country battles its highest number of wildfires in a decade.

The agency, which oversees the nation’s largest wildfire force, has denied the claims, saying it has enough resources to fight the blazes.

However, dozens of current and retired Forest Service employees told Reuters that the agency is struggling to fill critical roles after about 5,000 employees resigned. That’s 15 percent of the agency’s workforce.

The people said the drastic reduction in staff has put a strain on the remaining staff and weakened the agency’s ability to effectively respond to the growing number of wildfires across the country.

Firefighters in Oregon and New Mexico have reported that the shortage has left workers who should be doing rescue and firefighting work busy with administrative tasks and missing out on core missions.

The situation has drawn sharp criticism from relief groups and environmentalists, who see it as a sign of poor management during a crisis, especially as wildfires continue to rage across the country.

The Trump administration has promised that there will be no cuts to firefighting and other public safety jobs in a series of layoffs, voluntary resignations, and early retirements aimed at boosting productivity at the Forest Service.

The agency, which manages 78 million acres of land, roughly the size of Texas, plays a central role in fighting wildfires across the United States. But despite the pledges, reports suggest that the cuts have indirectly hurt firefighters as well.