Smokey Bear

“	Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires	„
	― Slogan

Smokey Bear is an iconic figure in the U.S. Forest Service's Wildfire Prevention Campaign, which is the longest-running public service announcement campaign in the U.S. history. Created in 1944, Smokey Bear's purpose is to educate the public about the dangers of human-caused wildfires. Originally, his slogan was "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires," which later became "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires" in 1947. In 2001, it was updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" to address wildfires beyond forests, including grasslands.

The campaign, managed by the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters, is widely recognized, with 80% of outdoor recreationists identifying Smokey's image by 2018. Smokey Bear's name and image are legally protected by the Smokey Bear Act of 1952.

Names	Smokey Bear
Gender	Male
Race	Bear (American Black)
Occupation	Park Ranger
Origin	The First Smokey Bear Poster, August 9, 1944
Alignment	Good
Age	Unknown
Created By	U.S. Forest Service, Advertising Council, National Association of State Foresters, Harry Rossoll, Albert Staehle
Height	Around 213 cm (7ft 0in)
Weight	Around 136kg (300 lbs)

History

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.

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.

Living Symbol

The living symbol of Smokey Bear was an American black bear cub found after the Capitan Gap fire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico in 1950. The bear, originally called "Hotfoot Teddy," was renamed Smokey, after the character created for wildfire prevention a few years prior. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze but suffered burns on his paws and legs. Ranger Ray Bell and his family cared for the bear until it was offered to the U.S. Forest Service as a living symbol for wildfire prevention.

Smokey Bear was flown to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he arrived on June 27, 1950, greeted by hundreds of spectators. Smokey lived at the zoo for 26 years, during which he received millions of visitors and over 13,000 letters a week, prompting the U.S. Postal Service to assign him his own ZIP Code (20252) in 1964. He became famous for his love of peanut butter sandwiches.

In 1962, Smokey was paired with a female bear named Goldie Bear, but they did not produce any offspring. Instead, another orphaned bear cub, "Little Smokey," was introduced in 1971 as their adopted son. Smokey officially "retired" in 1975, passing the title of Smokey Bear to Little Smokey. The original Smokey Bear died on November 9, 1976, and was buried in Capitan, New Mexico, at Smokey Bear Historical Park, where he remains a symbol of wildfire prevention.

Smokey's death was widely covered in the media, with obituaries published by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, among many others.

Peak in popularity

Smokey Bear quickly became a significant part of American culture, appearing in various media, including radio, comic strips, cartoons, and merchandise. In 1944, Knickerbocker Bears acquired the license to produce Smokey Bear dolls, and by 1949, Forest Service worker Rudy Wendelin became the campaign’s full-time artist, managing Smokey Bear’s image until his retirement in 1973.

By 1952, Smokey Bear had garnered so much commercial interest that Congress passed the Smokey Bear Act to place the character under the control of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, ensuring that any royalties would fund wildfire prevention education. Smokey’s popularity extended to schools, with Hill City High School in South Dakota being the only school district in the U.S. authorized to use Smokey Bear as their mascot since 1939.

The Ideal Toy Company began producing Smokey Bear dolls in 1952, and children could mail in a card to become Junior Forest Rangers. By 1955, half a million children had signed up. That same year, songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins created the song Smokey the Bear, which became a hit, although Smokey’s official name was never changed to include "the."

Smokey’s story inspired a 1955 Little Golden Books volume titled Smokey the Bear, depicting the bear as an orphan rescued after a forest fire, loosely based on the real bear cub that had become the living symbol of the character. Smokey’s likeness was soon seen on thousands of toys and collectibles, making him an enduring cultural icon.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Smokey Bear became even more prominent in American pop culture, with the Ad Council sponsoring radio ads featuring Smokey in conversations with celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Art Linkletter, Dinah Shore, and Roy Rogers. His name and image were used for the Smokey Bear Awards, which recognize exceptional efforts in wildfire prevention.

Smokey also appeared on Canadian TV in The Forest Rangers and was represented in a 14-foot-tall animatronic figure at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, installed to teach fire prevention. In 2015, the original was replaced by a new version that continues to educate children and families.

Smokey’s influence extended to music, as the Beach Boys referenced him in their 1964 song Drive-In. The U.S. Forest Service campaign hat became iconic through its association with Smokey Bear and is now colloquially known as the "Smokey Bear hat," still worn by certain military branches and state police.

Recent History

In 1984, Smokey Bear was honored with a U.S. postage stamp for his 40th anniversary, illustrated by Rudy Wendelin. The stamp featured an image of a cub clinging to a burned tree. That same year, the U.S. Forest Service began transferring materials from the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Campaign to the National Agricultural Library for preservation, including posters, artwork, recordings, and memorabilia. The collection is accessible online and at the library in Beltsville, Maryland.

For his 50th anniversary, a TV commercial showed woodland animals surprising Smokey with a birthday cake. Mistakenly thinking the candles were a fire hazard, Smokey destroyed the cake with his shovel. Posters commemorating the event featured a cake with extinguished candles and the slogan, "Make Smokey's Birthday Wish Come True."

In 2004, the Senate passed a resolution recognizing Smokey's 60th anniversary, requesting the President to issue a proclamation encouraging Americans to celebrate the occasion. Author Richard Earle praised the campaign's longevity, noting Smokey's enduring strength as a symbol of wildfire prevention.

"Smokey Bear Days" began in 2004 to honor the anniversary of finding the living Smokey Bear after the Capitan Gap fire. Marianne Gould from the Smokey Bear Ranger District, Eddie Tudor from the Smokey Bear Museum, and Neal Jones from a local Ruidoso radio station helped create the event, which takes place annually on the first weekend of May in Capitan, New Mexico. The celebration includes concerts, chainsaw carving contests, a firefighter competition, food, vendors, and a parade, promoting both wildfire prevention and environmental conservation.

Between 2008 and 2011, CGI-rendered Smokey Bear public service announcements (PSAs) were released. In 2010, a PSA encouraged young adults to "Get Your Smokey On" by urging them to intervene when witnessing unsafe fire practices. In 2011, the campaign launched its first mobile app to help educate users about campfire safety and provide real-time information about wildfires across the U.S.

In 2012, Smokey Bear's 68th birthday was celebrated at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where NASA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Texas Forest Service teamed up for the event. NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and the Expedition 31 crew selected a Smokey Bear plush doll as their mascot for their trip to the International Space Station, where Smokey celebrated his birthday in space, orbiting about 250 miles above Earth.

In 2014, Smokey Bear's 70th birthday was celebrated with a series of birthday-themed PSAs across various media platforms, continuing the "Smokey Bear Hug" campaign. This campaign showed Smokey giving hugs to people practicing wildfire prevention, and audiences were encouraged to post their own #SmokeyBearHug online. That year, Smokey also partnered with Disney's Planes.

In 2016, the "Rise from the Ashes" campaign was introduced, featuring art by Bill Fink, who used wildfire ashes as a medium to depict the damage caused by wildfires and raise awareness of less-known wildfire causes. New artwork and videos were released in 2017 by artists like Brian Edward Miller, Evan Hecox, Janna Mattia, and Victoria Ying, portraying Smokey in their distinct styles.

For Smokey Bear's 75th birthday in 2019, the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. opened an outdoor exhibit featuring posters, photographs, and a 6-foot statue of Smokey's cartoon persona. New commercials and events were held nationwide, and the National Agricultural Library showcased related materials. Oregon also released a Smokey Bear license plate in August 2019, benefiting Keep Oregon Green.

Cultural Impact

The commercialization and cultural impact of Smokey Bear have led to widespread unauthorized use of his image in American fashion and culture, particularly on clothing and accessories. Official use of the Smokey Bear symbol, however, is strictly regulated. The U.S. Forest Service permits its use only for educational purposes or commercial activities that contribute to wildfire prevention awareness, maintain Smokey's status as a fire prevention symbol, and comply with reasonable royalty charges.

The term "Smokeys" has become a nickname for some state police forces, especially due to their use of the campaign hat similar to Smokey Bear's iconic look.

Regarding voice portrayal, Jackson Weaver served as Smokey's primary voice for many years until his death in 1992. Other notable actors, including Roger C. Carmel, Jim Cummings, and Jack Angel, have also voiced Smokey over the years. Since 2008, actor Sam Elliott has become closely associated with Smokey's voice, bringing a new visual design to the campaign. For Smokey’s 75th birthday in 2019, Stephen Colbert, Jeff Foxworthy, and Al Roker voiced emoji-based versions of Smokey in public service announcements. In 2024, Brian Tyree Henry became the newest voice of Smokey Bear for his 80th birthday celebrations.

Adaptations

Smokey Bear has been featured in animation for over fifty years, including in parodies. In 1956, he made a cameo in Disney's In the Bag, voiced by Jackson Weaver. Later, Rankin/Bass Productions, collaborating with Tadahito Mochinaga’s MOM Production, created a stop-motion animated special Ballad of Smokey the Bear, narrated by James Cagney, which aired on NBC’s General Electric Fantasy Hour on Thanksgiving in 1966. A Smokey Bear balloon also appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that day.

In 1969, Rankin/Bass produced The Smokey Bear Show, a Saturday Morning cartoon animated by Toei Animation in Japan, which aired on ABC. Though his official name is "Smokey Bear," the name "Smokey the Bear" continues in popular culture, largely due to Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins' song, which was later covered by the band Canned Heat on their album The Boogie House Tapes 1969–1999.

In modern references, Fortnite parodied Smokey in a loading screen featuring the Cuddle Team Leader character in a pose similar to Smokey's, paired with the message "Only YOU can prevent V-Buck scams," a warning against online scams. Additionally, Smokey is briefly referenced in Open Season: Scared Silly (2015), where Eliot the Deer names him as a favorite bear.