152
Smokey the Bear
Smokey the Bear
‟
s birthday is somewhat of a mystery. Some
say it was February 28, 1944 and others give dates of February
22, 1944, August 9, 1944, and even February 28, 1928. The
latter is, no doubt, incorrect.
It does seem that a bear was adopted in 1944 as a symbol for
the
“
Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires
”
campaign. In 2001
the slogan was changed to
“
Only you Can Prevent Wildfires.
”
The name Smokey was adopted for the bear in 1950 when a
baby black bear was found alone and burned after a wildfire
raged through New Mexico.
