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The Republic
The bear, known nationwide for raising awareness of fire dangers in forests and national parks, celebrated 80 years of service to the public – his beginnings began modestly as part of a government advertising campaign.
On August 9, Smokey Bear, the longest-running and most successful advertising campaign in U.S. history according to the U.S. Forest Service, turned 80 years old.
Smokey Bear was “born” in 1944 and created by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council as a national mascot for wildfire prevention. They chose a bear because it embodied both cute and powerful qualities, according to the Forest Service.
Even though his iconic slogan, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires,” evolved over the years, Smokey Bear remained a steadfast symbol of fire prevention. His message became especially poignant as Arizona continued to battle wildfires in the summer of 2024.
This is the story of Smokey Bear.
Here is the humble real bear that made Smokey an icon
On August 9, 1944, Smokey was created as a fictional bear to help the Forest Service spread information about fire protection and forest conservation, according to Smokey’s website.
Smokey first appeared on a poster by artist Albert Staehle depicting a bear pouring a bucket of water over a campfire with the message, “Caution prevents 9 out of 10 fires.” In 1947, according to the Forest Service, Smokey adopted the famous slogan, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”
While Smokey Bear’s popularity grew due to his positive animal qualities, his story took a real turn in New Mexico with the discovery of an orphaned boy.
In 1950, firefighters in Capitan, New Mexico, discovered a three-month-old orphaned and burned bear cub clinging to a tree it had climbed to escape the Capitan Gap forest fire.
Firefighters rescued the cub and initially named him Hot Foot Teddy, but soon decided on the name Smokey in honor of his survival and bravery in the face of the deadly forest fire that nearly claimed his life.
According to the Forest Service, Smokey has become a living symbol of wildfire prevention in his new home at the National Zoo in Washington DC.
Smokey became a popular recipient of fan mail in his new home in the nation’s capital, so much so that he was given his own zip code for his many decorations.
Smokey lived until 1976, when he died of old age. Smokey was buried in Smokey Bear Historical Park, which now includes his original home in New Mexico, from which he was forced to flee.
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A bear wasn’t the first choice. How Forest Service advertising changed
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the bear was not its first choice in 1941, when forest fire prevention became important due to wartime conservation of resources.
Some of the first commercials for forest fire prevention were not particularly spectacular: they showed images of men fighting an out-of-control fire in a forest under the text “FOREST DEFENSE IS NATIONAL DEFENSE.”
In 1944, before a bear was chosen as a mascot, Disney borrowed characters from “Bambi” for advertising purposes with slogans such as “Prevent forest fires: Greater danger than ever,” combining iconic slogans with cartoon characters.
Later in 1944, a bear was adopted, but the name Smokey did not come into use until six years later.
How Smokey’s iconic slogan has changed over time
The most significant change to Smokey’s famous slogan came in 2011, when the final phrase, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires,” was replaced with “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.”
“This was done in recognition of the fact that wildfires and fires occur under all ecological conditions, not just in tall forests,” said Lincoln Bramwell, historian for the U.S. Forest Service.
The language change reflected a much larger scope Fires They can be seen throughout the forests, grasslands and deserts of Arizona, and they are approaching communities.
Smokey’s brand and iconography changed over the years
Over the 80 years he has been warning Americans about the dangers of wildfires in our various regions, Smokey’s appearance and depictions have changed frequently.
The Smokey Bear Association is an organization made up of private members who honor Smokey by archiving his depictions in the media.
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Smokey appeared in public service announcements that were distributed everywhere from radio to movies to print media to videos and the Internet.
The archive included Smokey’s numerous portrayals in films, songs, comic books and newspaper strips.
