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With his comments this week on California’s recent spate of vicious wildfires, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke waded into a longstanding debate over how forests are managed.

Mr. Zinke and his boss, President Trump, also dismissed the impact of global warming on the fires. But the secretary later clarified his comments, responding “of course” when asked if he accepted that climate change was part of the problem.

In radio and television interviews while in California visiting with firefighters, Mr. Zinke acknowledged that fires had been getting worse. But he said what was driving this summer’s severe blazes — including the Mendocino Complex fire north of San Francisco that is now the largest in the state’s history — was “fuel load,” or the presence of dead and dying trees that have not been cleared from forests.

In one interview, with Breitbart Radio, Mr. Zinke blamed “environmental terrorist groups” for the situation, saying their legal efforts had prevented the widespread harvesting of dead timber.