Here’s a phrase you all probably know: "Only you can prevent forest fires."
That’s Smokey Bear. And, if you’ve noticed his image showing up on billboards and in ads again recently — you’re not alone.
Aug. 9 marks his 80th birthday.
The iconic bear has been telling us to put out our campfires and tie up chains behind our cars since 1944, when he appeared on his first forest fire prevention campaign poster drowning a campfire.
But, Smokey Bear is not just one of the most successful and longest running ad campaigns in American history. He also was a real bear.
Mary Lavin is the manager of Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico. She spoke with The Show as she was standing about 20 feet from the real Smokey Bear’s gravesite.
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Smokey Bear balloon at the "Eyes to the Sky" balloon festival held at Salina, Utah, June 30, 2012.
U.S. Forest Service
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The balloon version of Smokey Bear made for the 1968 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
U.S. Forest Service
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A Smokey Bear outdoor exhibit at Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., May 23, 2019.
U.S. Forest Service
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Smokey Bear with the Sons of the Pioneers singing group.
U.S. Forest Service
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U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Smokey Bear sign informs people that today's fire danger level is high, near McCall, Idaho, on Friday, July 26, 2013.
United States Department of Agriculture
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Birthday cake for Smokey Bear at the Baca Grande Library in Crestone, Colorado in March 2024.
U.S. Forest Service
