SMOKEY THE BEAR

1. Enter Smokey
2. What A Bear
3. Hotfoot Teddy
4. Capitol Hill
5. A Bear By Any Other Name
6. Capitan, New Mexico
7. Smokey Bear, Not Smokey The Bear
8. Smokey's Bicycle Brigade
9. Is That All There Is To A Fire?
10. Smokey's High Level Clearance
11. The Advertising Council, Inc.
12. Goldie And Smokey
13. Smokey's Final Resting Place
14. Smokey's Vault
15. Fun Furry Fact

 

1. Enter Smokey

In 1944, the USDA Forest Service, working in conjunction with the Ad Council, authorized an original poster by Albert Staehle of Smokey Bear as the symbol for forest fire prevention.

2. What A Bear

Six years later in May of 1950, a human-caused fire raged across 17,000 acres of forest in the Capitan Gap of the Capitan Mountains in south central New Mexico. During the blaze a bear cub scrambled up a lone tree and was trapped there. He had been badly burned on one of his feet as well as other parts of his tiny furry body. The battling fire crew spotted him and mounted a rescue mission.

3. Hotfoot Teddy

Because of his injuries the cub was dubbed, "Hotfoot Teddy". Game Warden Ray Bell flew him to a veterinary hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico. While receiving care, the staff started calling him Smokey Bear after the poster that was created by Albert Staehle. Bell continued to care for him at his home, but even a small cub has little place in a house.

4. Capitol Hill

Once healed, Smokey was flown to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. where he quickly became a celebrity. In July 1950, U.S. Senator Chaves of New Mexico presented Smokey Bear to the school children of America. By 1952, his popularity had skyrocketed and Congress passed a bill governing the commercialization of the name and image of Smokey Bear. Smokey was now the official living mascot of the cartoon created campaign to help prevent forest fires.

5. A Bear By Any Other Name

On April 29, 1964, Smokey Bear was given his own zip code because of the overwhelmingly large amount of mail he was receiving.

6. Capitan, New Mexico

At an elevation of 6,350 feet, Capitan is twelve miles from the historic town of Lincoln, Billy the Kid's old stomping grounds. It is six miles from Fort Stanton, home of the Buffalo Soldiers. The resort town of Ruidoso is 21 miles to the south, Albuquerque is 165 miles to the northwest and El Paso, Texas is 182 miles to the southwest.

As home of Smokey Bear, Capitan attracts thousands of visitors to Smokey Bear Historical Park and the Smokey Bear Museum.

7. Smokey Bear, Not Smokey The Bear

Smokey's correct full name is Smokey Bear. So where did the "the" come from in Smokey the Bear, which is another popular way to say his name. Well, Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote a song called "Smokey the Bear" in 1952. That "the" was added simply to help the song's rhythm and has been a cause of confusion ever since.

8. Smokey's Bicycle Brigade

This 4th of July in Smokey's hometown of Capitan, New Mexico, the annual celebration will be hosted by Grand Marshall, Ben Leslie. The events include: an antique and classic car show, a cart and buggy rally, a judged equestrian event, demonstrations by the local fire departments, a tractor pull, a Smokey Bear bicycle brigade and a float parade to the tune of this year's theme - "Let Freedom Ring!"

9. Is That All There Is To A Fire?

Smokey Bear and his famous warning, "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" was introduced to Americans in 1944 making it the longest running campaign in U.S. history. The Forest Fire Prevention campaign has helped reduce the number of acres lost annually from 22 million acres to a mere 4 million acres. The campaign has made changes to pinpoint the source of the problem. Prompted by the massive outbreak of wildfires in 2000, Smokey's efforts were updated to target adults rather than children and the slogan was changed to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires".

10. Smokey's High Level Clearance

As one of the world's most recognizable fictional characters, Smokey's image is protected by US Federal Law and is administered by the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council.

11. The Advertising Council, Inc.

The Advertising Council is a private, nonprofit organization. It is the leading producer of PSA (public service announcement) campaigns and programs in the United States since its founding as the War Advertising Council in 1942. Movie and commercial directors donate their time to direct PSA's and the Ad Council marshals these volunteer talents, as well as others, to create awareness, foster understanding and motivate action. The Ad Council's campaigns have included, "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk", "Take A Bite Out of Crime" and "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste".

12. Goldie And Smokey

New Mexico adopted the black bear as its state animal and on the State's golden anniversary in 1962, a female bear named Goldie, from a forest near Magdalena, was sent to the National Zoo to become Smokey Bear's companion and mate. However, no cubs were ever born to the couple.

13. Smokey's Final Resting Place

Smokey Bear died in 1976, his body was returned to his birthplace and he is now buried at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in the heart of downtown Capitan, New Mexico.

14. Smokey's Vault

The Smokey Bear website goes one further with adult awareness. A section labeled, "Smokey's Vault" is dedicated to the collection of nostalgic posters, images and public service announcement commercials that span the entire history of Smokey's long running campaign.

"Smokey Bear is one of the Ad Council's most memorable and treasured icons. Adults remember his important messages from their youth, and I think Smokey is the most appropriate character to bring the wildfire message to them as adults," according to Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of The Advertising Council.

15. Fun Furry Fact

The T-Shirt King Headquarters in Mountainair, New Mexico is only a hop, skip and jump away from Smokey's birthplace in Capitan.