Smokey Bear hot air balloon. Smokey Bear, the fictional face of fire prevention, turned 80 on August 9, 2024. (Image from USDA Forest Service)
Happy birthday, Smokey Bear! The fictional face of wildfire prevention celebrates his 80th birthday, making it the longest-running and most successful advertising campaign in American history.
Smokey Bear was born on August 9, 1944, when the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council decided that a fictional bear should be the symbol of a fire prevention campaign. At the time, federal officials feared that the country’s national forest could become the target of fires, as the country was already in the midst of World War II.
Musicians pose with a cardboard cutout of Smokey Bear in the 1950s. Smokey Bear, the fictional face of fire prevention, turned 80 on August 9, 2024. (Image from USDA Forest Service)
Six years later, firefighters found a cub with severely burned paws and hind legs after a fire in the Capitan Mountains in New Mexico. The cub was named Smokey Bear after New York City’s Deputy Fire Chief “Smokey” Joe Martin.
RELATED: Symbol of resilience: Lahaina’s historic banyan tree thrives one year after deadly wildfire
When the bear died in 1976, his remains were buried in what is now Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan – not far from where he was found.
RELATED: Puppy rescued from California park fire by rescuer who ran nearly 2 miles
Over the past eight decades, Smokey has appeared in countless radio, television and print advertisements with his motto: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” His message is as important today as it was 80 years ago.
Smokey on the aircraft cowling in 1950 (image from USDA Forest Service)
“Despite the success of Smokey Bear’s campaign over the years, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our nation’s forests and grasslands,” said the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the U.S. Forest Service, where Smokey is employed. “With over 80 percent of wildfires started by accident or by negligence or poor behavior, Smokey’s message is as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944.”
Wildfires on Maui: One year later
On August 8, 2023, one of the most devastating wildfires in the United States broke out in Maui, Hawaii. It’s been a long year of recovery, and there’s still a long road ahead. Maui Council Chair Alice Lee joins LiveNOW from FOX.
In 2023, there were 56,580 wildfires in the United States, burning a total of 2.7 million hectares of land, according to the National Interagency Fire Service CentreThat’s significantly less than the 7.6 million acres that burned in 2022 – or the 10.1 million acres that burned in 2020.
