Editing Smokey Bear (section)

=== Origins ===
During World War II, the U.S. Forest Service's wildfire prevention efforts took on greater urgency. With many experienced firefighters serving in the armed forces, the Forest Service aimed to involve local communities in wildfire prevention, using educational posters to raise awareness. Wildfires were seen as a threat to the war effort, as fires could disrupt resources critical for defense.

Additionally, Japan considered using wildfires as a weapon. In 1942, Japanese submarines shelled an oil field near Los Padres National Forest, and later, Japan launched around 9,000 fire balloons into the U.S. via the jet stream. While most did not cause significant damage, one fire balloon caused the deaths of Elsie Mitchell and five children in Oregon in May 1945. This incident is commemorated at the Mitchell Monument Historic Site.

The Smokey Bear campaign began in 1942 with the establishment of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program by the U.S. Forest Service. That same year, Walt Disney's animated film Bambi premiered, and Disney allowed the characters to be used in fire-prevention campaigns. However, since this was a temporary arrangement, the Forest Service needed a permanent symbol after Bambi's loan period ended. A bear was chosen as the new symbol, based on a sketch by Forest Service artist Harry Rossoll. The bear's name, "Smokey," was inspired by New York City firefighter "Smokey" Joe Martin, who had been injured in a heroic rescue in 1922.
[[File:Smokeybear1944-min.jpg|alt=Smokey Bear First Appearance|thumb|204x204px|Smokey Bear's debut poster. Art by Albert Staehle.]]
Smokey Bear was officially created on August 9, 1944, a date celebrated as the character's birthday. The first Smokey Bear poster, by artist Albert Staehle, was released on October 10, 1944, depicting Smokey in jeans and a campaign hat, pouring water on a campfire with the message: "Smokey Says;– Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!"

In 1947, the Ad Council coined the famous slogan "Remember...only YOU can prevent forest fires," which remained until 2001 when it was updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" to address fires in non-forest areas and clarify that the campaign focused on preventing unplanned wildfires.

The Smokey Bear campaign's slogan changed in the 2000s from "Only you can prevent forest fires" to "Only you can prevent wildfires" to broaden the message beyond forests to include all wildlands, like grasslands, and address wildfire ecology more accurately. This adjustment came as experts emphasized the need to distinguish between harmful human-caused fires and ecologically beneficial natural fires.

Historically, suppressing fires has sometimes led to dense forests with significant undergrowth and dead trees, which can fuel intense fires that destroy all vegetation and alter soil chemistry. In contrast, natural low-intensity ground fires reduce fuel buildup, support large vegetation, and are essential in certain fire-dependent ecosystems like Douglas fir forests, chaparral, and pine barrens. Some ecosystems even rely on fire to aid seed germination and remove competing plants.

Today, prescribed fires help reintroduce natural fire benefits under controlled conditions. According to SmokeyBear.com, these controlled fires can reduce fuel buildup and help prevent catastrophic fires, aligning with Smokey’s mission to minimize human-caused wildfires and safeguard resources, homes, and lives.