Smokey Bear and Fire Suppression

Abstract

Smokey Bear is the most recognizable government mascot in America. His story has a dual nature, that of a fictional, anthropomorphic bear partly developed by the National Ad Council and of a real black bear found orphaned in New Mexico. As a spokes-bear for the National Forest Service, the life of the real bear and the cartoon mascot have been documented in official publications, reports, and archives. Because of the partnership of the National Ad Council many of the promotional materials were not distributed through the Government Printing Office and fall into a gray category of government information. In 2024 Smokey turns eighty years old and his story is retold; the story of a mascot and the more complicated story of wildfire suppression.