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Arnold Schwarzenegger injects Hollywood glamour wherever he goes. When California’s governor inspected the 2000 square kilometres charred in last week’s wildfires, he looked every bit the movie hero. The script worked out well, too. Arnie won praise for mobilising rescue workers quickly and even the wind turned in his favour, dying down in time for firefighters to limit the damage.

Yet there is an alternative plot line that Schwarzenegger would not be pleased with. It’s the story being told by wildfire experts. In this version, state and federal policies are partly to blame for the fires, and the moral of…

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