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Smokey Bear. This poster is a imitation of the famous Lord Kitchener Wants You and Uncle Sam posters.

Smokey Bear is a character in the longest running public service campaign in United States history. The character's mission is to raise public awareness to protect America's forests. Since its inception, Smokey's forest fire prevention campaign has reduced the area lost annually from 22 million to 4 million acres (89,000 to 16,000 km²).

Smokey Bear's message "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" was created in 1944 by the Ad Council. In a recent study, 95% of those surveyed could finish the sentence when given the first words. In April 2001, Smokey's message was updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires."

Smokey's correct full name is Smokey Bear. In 1952, songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins had a hit with "Smokey The Bear". The pair said that "the" was added to Smokey’s name to keep the song's rhythm. This small change has caused confusion among Smokey fans ever since.

The fictional character Smokey Bear is administered by three entities: the United States Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters, and the Ad Council. Smokey Bear's name and image are protected by U.S. federal law, the Smokey Bear Act of 1952 (16 U.S.C. 580 (p-2); 18 U.S.C. 711), which provides for actual imprisonment for those who manufacture goods depicting Smokey Bear without having secured a license from the government.

Beginning the campaign

Smokey Bear's debut poster

Before World War II, forest fire prevention campaigns used colorful posters to bring attention to the problem. During the war, images of the Axis powers of World War II leaders were depicted to drive home the message that forest fires hurt the country’s war effort. Lumber was a critical natural resource needed for the armed forces.

In 1942 the animated feature film Bambi was released. Soon after, Walt Disney allowed his characters to appear in fire prevention public service campaigns. However, Bambi was only loaned to the government for a year, so a new symbol was needed.

Sticking with the popular animal theme, a bear was chosen. His name was inspired by "Smoky" Joe Martin, a New York City Fire Department hero who shrugged off burns and blindness in a bold 1922 rescue.

Smokey's debut poster was released on August 9, 1944, which is considered his birthday. Overseen by the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Campaign, the first poster was illustrated by Albert Staehle. In it Smokey was depicted wearing jeans and a campaign hat, pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. The message underneath reads, "Smokey says – Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!"

In a 1948 poster, Smokey grasps a shovel, standing next to deer, squirrels, and birds. By now his message had been refined: "Another 30 million acres [120,000 km²] will burn this year – unless you are careful! Remember – only you can prevent forest fires!"

Beginning in 1944 the full-time campaign artist was Forest Service employee Rudy Wendelin, who was considered Smokey Bear's "caretaker" until he retired in 1973.

The living symbol of Smokey

The living symbol of Smokey Bear was an American black bear who in the spring of 1950 was caught in the Capitan Gap fire, a wildfire that burned 17,000 acres (69 km²) in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. The cub was in the Lincoln National Forest. Smokey had climbed a tree to escape the blaze, but his paws and hind legs had been burned. He was rescued by forest rangers fighting the wildfire.

At first he was called Hotfoot Teddy, but was later renamed Smokey, after the mascot. A local rancher who had been helping fight the fire took the cub home with him, but he needed veterinary aid. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Ranger Ray Bell took him to Santa Fe. His wife, Ruth, and their children, Don and Judy, cared for the cub. The story was picked up by the national news services and Smokey became an instant celebrity. He and the Bells were featured in Life, cementing his star status. Soon after, Smokey was flown in a Piper Cub to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he lived for 26 years. Upon his death in November 1975, Smokey's remains were returned by the government to Capitan, New Mexico, and buried at what is now the Smokey Bear Historical Park.

"Only YOU can prevent wildfires!"

Smokey the icon

Following the discovery of the living symbol of Smokey Bear, the character became a big part of American popular culture in the 1950s. He was on radio shows in the 1950s with his band, the Sons of the Pioneers. He appeared in comic strips and cartoons.

On the back of the song sheet was printed the Conservation Pledge:

I give my pledge as an American to save and faithfully to defend from waste the natural resources of my country – its soil and minerals, its forests, waters and wildlife.

In 1952, after Smokey Bear attracted considerable commercial interest, the Smokey Bear Act, an Act of Congress, was passed to take Smokey out of the public domain and place him under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Act provided for the use of Smokey's royalties for continued education on forest fire prevention.

A Smokey Bear doll was released by Ideal Toys in 1952, which included a mail-in card for children to become junior forest rangers. Within three years half a million kids had applied. In April 1964, Smokey was given his own ZIP code, 20252.

In 1955 the first children’s book was published, followed by many sequels and coloring books. Soon thousands of dolls, toys, and other collectibles were on the market.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the Ad Council sponsored radio ads, featuring Smokey Bear "in conversation" with prominent Americans such as Bing Crosby, Art Linkletter, Dinah Shore, Roy Rogers, and many others.

Smokey also lends his name and image to the Smokey Bear Awards, which are awarded by the United States Forest Service:

"To recognize outstanding service in the prevention of wildland fires and to increase public recognition and awareness of the need for continuing fire prevention efforts."

In 1973, an unsettling Smokey the Bear public service announcement made for television was introduced. The PSA featured then-unknown actress Joanna Cassidy speaking seductively to the camera about preventing forest fires, after which she appears to remove her face as if it were a mask, revealing Smokey who says, "If you knew it was me, would you have listened?" The ad ran for several years in the 1970s.

Legacy

Smokey Bear with members of the Boy Scouts of America and the Camp Fire Girls in 1950

For Smokey’s 50th anniversary in 1994, he was honored with a U.S. postage stamp that pictured a cub hanging onto a burned tree. It was illustrated by Rudy Wendelin. The commercial for his 50th birthday portray woodland animals about to throw Smokey a surprise party with a cake with candles. When Smokey comes blindfolded, he smells smoke, not realizing it is birthday candles for his birthday. He uses his shovel to destroy the cake. When he takes off his blindfold, he sees that it was a birthday cake for him and apologizes. See commercial here at http://www.smokeybear.com/vault/museum_broadcast_1993a.asp

In 2004 Smokey celebrated his 60th anniversary. According to Richard Earle, author of The Art of Cause Marketing, the Smokey Bear campaign is recognized as among the most powerful and enduring of all public service advertising. "Smokey is simple, strong, straightforward," Earle writes. "He's a denizen of those woods you're visiting, and he cares about preserving them. Anyone who grew up watching Bambi realizes how terrifying a forest fire can be. But Smokey wouldn't run away. Smokey's strong. He'll stay and fight the fire if necessary, but he'd rather have you douse it and cover it up so he doesn't have to."

Smokey Bear in popular culture

In 1939 students from Hill City, South Dakota helped stop a devastating wildfire that threatened their community. Afterwards the school district was allowed by the government to use Smokey Bear as its mascot. It is believed to be the only school in the country to be able to do so.

Smokey Bear -- and parodies of the character -- have been appearing in animation for more than fifty years. In 1956 he made a cameo appearance in the Walt Disney short In the Bag with a voice provided by Washington Radio Station WMAL personality Jackson Weaver. Weaver served as the primary voice of Smokey - and following his death in October 1992 the "voice" of Smokey was retired by the Forest Service. Others who provided a voice to Smokey prior to 1992 included Los Angeles Radio station KNX's George Walsh. In 1966 Rankin/Bass produced an animated TV special called The Ballad of Smokey the Bear, narrated by James Cagney. In more recent appearances, an episode of Dexter's Laboratory featured "Smokum" and a bear that looked similar to Smokey appeared in South Park during its first season Halloween special. In the Simpsons episode "Mountain of Madness", Bart Simpson encounters an interactive educational Smokey-shaped exhibit at a national park. Adult Swim Show "Robot Chicken" featured a bit where Smokey's service is explained as punishment for smoking weed and accidentally putting a baby (which he thought was a turkey) in a furnace (which he thought was an oven), while high.

The Beach Boys Song "Drive-In" has "Only you can prevent Forest Fires" in the lyrics, a reference to PSAs shown before or between features.

A strip from the Far Side comic shows Smokey covering his eyes in front of a birthday cake in which the candles are in the shape of trees lit on fire. Smokey asks his animal friends,"Can I look now?" Another strip of Far Side shows Smokey the Bear holding a shovel intimidating two campers who have lit a fire to cook with the help of his gang including Woodsy Owl.

"The Ballad of Smokey the Bear" was covered by Canned Heat. The track is on their CD The Boogie House Tapes 1969-1999.

"Smokey the Bear Sutra", a 1969 poem by Gary Snyder which presents environmental concerns in the form of a Buddhist sutra, and depicts Smokey as the reincarnation of the Great Sun Buddha. Full text is on Wikisource - Smokey the Bear Sutra.

Smokey Bear is also referenced on the Spinal Tap song "America".

CB radio users often use the words "smoky" or "bear" as code for "highway patrol" or "state police", alluding to the flat-brimmed campaign hat that many state troopers wear.

Smokey Bear at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree.

The U.S Marine Corps refers to the campaign hat drill instructors wear as a Smokey Bear hat.

In Warcraft III, clicking on Malfurion Stormrage (The Prophet) for a 4th or 5th time will prompt Smokey's message.

 A popular parody t-shirt featuring Chuck Norris instead of Smokey, says "Only Chuck Norris can prevent forest fires" and Chuck Norris's

head with a Smokey Bear hat on.