Smokey Bear turns 80 years old today, Friday, Aug. 9.
In honor of his eight decades of telling Americans about the importance of fire safety, read on for eight fun facts about one of America’s most beloved mascots.
His message of fire prevention in the great outdoors is just as important as it was 80 years ago, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
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Here’s what to know.
1. He replaced Bambi
Smokey Bear had some big shoes (make that hooves) to fill when he was introduced by the U.S. Forest Service in 1944.
Prior to Smokey’s introduction, an animated deer was the star of the Forest Service’s fire prevention campaign: Bambi.
Smokey Bear replaced Bambi as the symbol of wildfire prevention in the United States. (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Walt Disney “lent us Bambi,” Robert Westover, spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service, told Fox News Digital in a video interview.
“Bambi was the [fire prevention] image for the first year, but Walt basically said, ‘Yeah, you guys need to kind of come up with your own image,'” Westover said.
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Smokey Bear was devised shortly after and officially authorized by the U.S. Forest Service on Aug. 9, 1944.
2. There’s no ‘the’ in his name
Smokey Bear’s name is just that: Smokey Bear, Westover noted. He is not “Smokey the Bear.”
“It’s a common misnomer,” Westover said.
Smokey Bear appears during the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23, 2023, in New York City. Smokey Bear’s name is not “Smokey the Bear,” the U.S. Forest Service says. (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s, Inc.)
This is partially the fault of folk singer Eddy Arnold, apparently, whose 1955 song was titled “Smokey the Bear.”
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“He sings ‘Smokey the Bear’ because he thought it sounded more rhythmically appropriate,” Westover said.
“So that’s sort of stuck in the national consciousness, but it is actually ‘Smokey Bear.'”
3. Smokey Bear is a child of World War II
In the 1940s amid World War II, there was considerable concern that America’s forests were at risk due to enemy attack, Westover told Fox News Digital.
“Our forests are very important resources,” he said. “And so there was a real effort [as well] that we, as citizens of the United States, did not burn down our own forest.”
Smokey Bear was created to help remind Americans that the forests needed to be protected from fires. The mascot is shown with a group of Maryland Girl Scouts in Washington, D.C., circa 1954. (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Smokey Bear as a concept came around shortly thereafter.
4. There was a ‘real’ Smokey Bear
While Smokey Bear today is most commonly seen in picture form — or as a balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — there was, at one point, a real-life bear that was known as “Smokey Bear.”
The living Smokey Bear, Westover said, was an orphaned bear cub from New Mexico that was badly burned in a fire.
Smokey Bear, seen here before being flown to the National Zoo, was an orphaned bear cub rescued from a forest fire in New Mexico. (FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“He became the living image, if you will, [the] embodiment of Smokey Bear,” he said.
Smokey Bear lived out the remainder of his days at the National Zoo as “the most popular exhibit the National Zoo has ever had, to this day.”
5. He is one of the most recognized figures in the USA
Smokey Bear’s popularity extends far beyond the National Zoo.
Smokey Bear is pictured next to a forest fire prevention sign in New Mexico that warns tourists about imminent “high” fire danger. (iStock)
Surveys have shown that an impressive majority of adults are familiar with Smokey Bear and his messages about promoting fire safety and wildfire prevention.
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The Ad Council, which helps to manage Smokey Bear’s image, reported in 2019 that 96% of American adults recognized Smokey Bear’s catchphrase.
“He’s really popular, and he’s a great ambassador for wildfire prevention,” Westover said. “He’s sort of a gateway bear, if you will, to get folks interested in our amazing, great outdoors.”
Smokey Bear is a “gateway bear” who helps get children interested in nature. (Antony Matheus Linsen/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)
6. His catchphrase has changed
Today, Smokey Bear’s message is “Only You Can Prevent Wildfire.”
But, that wasn’t always the line; he’s actually only been saying that exact phrase since 2001.
From 1947 until April 2001, Smokey Bear’s message was “Remember… Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.”
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And before that, there was the slightly more verbose “Smokey Says Care Will Prevent 9 Out of 10 Forest Fires.”
Smokey Bear’s message changed, Westover said, because not all fires are necessarily bad.
Smokey Bear’s catchphrase is now “Only You Can Prevent Wildfire.” For nearly 55 years, however, it was “Remember… Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.” (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“Some natural fire is good, and some man-made fire is bad,” he said. “And especially what I like to refer to as ‘stupid fire,’ when we go out and we’re careless in the forest.”
7. His message is still relevant all these decades later
Smokey Bear’s message of preventing wildfire is still one that is needed today, Westover said.
“Smokey’s message has always been about your responsibility,” he said, such as making sure a campfire is fully extinguished before leaving a campsite, avoiding smoking in the forest and even keeping chains on a vehicle trailer secured.
President Harry S. Truman receives a Smokey Bear sign from U.S. Forest Service Chief Lyle F. Watts in the Oval Office in 1949. (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
“Sparks (from the chains dragging) can cause forest fires and grass fires,” Westover said.
“Almost 90% of all fires are started by people,” he said. “So it’s very important to keep that in mind when you’re out there enjoying our great outdoors. It’s our responsibility, all of our responsibility, to keep these beautiful wild lands for the next generation.”
Smokey Bear and Darci Drinkwater of the U.S. Forest Service are seen in the Brady Briefing Room during a visit to the White House on Aug. 6, 2024, as part of his birthday celebrations. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
8. He inspired other fire prevention mascots worldwide
The success of Smokey Bear resulted in the adoption of new fire safety characters in other countries and municipalities.
In Alberta, Canada, “Bertie Beaver” serves as the Alberta Forest Service’s symbol of fire prevention, the Alberta government’s website noted.
Young Miss Fire Prevention and Smokey Bear appeared at the Indianapolis International Speedway to promote fire safety in the 1970s. (Shepard Sherbell/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Canada is also home to “Ember, the FireSmart Fox,” which “teaches Canadians how to apply FireSmart principles to their homes and properties so they can be more resilient against the threat of wildfire,” according to the website for FireSmart Canada, a national program.
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In England, “Welephant” taught children fire safety in the 1980s.
He is now the symbol of the Children’s Burns Trust, a charity that provides care for children who have been burned or scalded, its website notes.
Smokey “has been imitated throughout the world,” Westover said. “The greatest form of flattery is, of course, imitation.”
Smokey Bear, along with Flathead chief Paul Charlo, at left, his wife, far right, and young Allen Thompson, at bottom, pose in Montana in 1956 to promote the prevention of man-made forest fires. (CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
“And, it’s just amazing to see different countries come up with their different versions of Smokey and, yes, it’s pretty exciting to think that it does have the kind of impact over 80 years.”