Smokey Bear’s first appearance on a forest fire prevention campaign poster was on August 9, 1944, at the height of World War II.
Since then, his catchy slogan, “only you can prevent wildfires,” has become a famous and familiar plea.
The message is also the longest-running public service announcement in the U.S., according to NPR.
The U.S. Forest Service says the idea for a friendly, park ranger hat-wearing bear didn’t originate with a cartoon drawing, but was inspired by an actual bear cub.
In the spring of 1950, an operator in one of the fire towers in New Mexico spotted smoke and called the nearest ranger location.
The responding crew discovered a major wildfire sweeping along the ground and driven by a strong wind.
As the crew battled to contain the blaze, they received a report of a lone bear cub seen wandering near the fire line.
The fire picked up and firefighters who were caught in the fire storm survived the blaze by lying face down on a rockslide of over an hour.
During the blaze, the cub took refuge in a tree that became completely charred.
The bear’s paws and hind legs were badly burned as the crew removed the cub from the tree and a rancher among the crew agreed to take him in.
Over two years news of the rescued bear – who became known as “Smokey” – spread throughout New Mexico and all the way to Washington D.C. where he found a home at the National Zoo.
The cub became the living symbol of Smokey Bear until his death in 1976. He was buried at the Smokey Bear Historical Park in Captain, New Mexico.
The Forest Service will celebrate Smokey’s birthday all year long, with an appearance of a Smokey Bear balloon at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the lighting of the U.S. Capital's Christmas Tree.
