Good commercials, hopefully there will be less forest fires.

This is an advertising campaign that has been around for 60 years. In 1944 the National Forest Service along with the Advertising Council originated and authorized a poster by Mr Rudolph Wendelin of Smokey Bear (not Smokey the bear) as the symbol for fire prevention. In May of 1950 a fire burned over 17,000 acres of forest in Capitan Gap, New Mexico. A tiny bear cub sought shelter in a tree and even though it was badly burned on its feet and buttox he clung to the tree until rescued by a fire fighter. Briefly named hotfoot his name was soon changed to Smokey and he became the living symbol for the poster. The Game Warden at that time, Ray Bell, sent Smokey to a veterinary hospital in Santa Fe for recovery. Once healed he was flown to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where he soon became a star. In July of 1950, then Senator Chaves of New Mexico presented Smokey to the school children of America. By 1952 he had become so popular with children as well as with all citizens of the world that Congress passed into law a bill governing the commercialization of the name and image of Smokey Bear. It was at about this time that Smokey was given his own postal zone (pre zip code) because of the large amount of mail he was receiving. As a result of Smokey the entire world has been altered to some degree. During his life several events occurred in Capitan related to Smokey Bear and his fire safety campaign. In 1956 a Smokey Bear Club was formed in Capitan to further conservation efforts. $2,300 was raised and with donated materials and labor a log cabin museum was constructed. In 1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented Capitan with the first Smokey Oscar for its efforts in conservation. In 1960 the log cabin museum was opened to the public with free admission. Smokey lived a long and happy life at the National Zoo and died in 1976. His body was returned to his birthplace and he is buried in a small park which is named for him located in the heart of the village of Capitan. In 1984 Rudolph Wendelin, the man who drew the original poster in 1944, designed a twenty cent stamp depicting a bear cub clinging to a burnt tree with the Smokey emblem in the background. This was the only time the U. S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring an individual animal. The village of Capitan was chosen for the first day sale of this commemorative stamp, fifty years after the inception of the original poster. Though Smokey has passed on, his message that Only you can prevent forest fires is still being taught to children today and in that sense Smokey Bear will continue to live, his message still as important as it was in 1944.

What about the natural ones, started by lighting, Smokey? How do I prevent those?

hate it. it's so gay

Smokey don't like to smoke! He likes crack instead!

I am not particulary fond of thease commersials (man I can't spell today!)because it is one of those serious commersials but you have to have them because forest fires are serious buisness. But it is fun to crack jokes about smokey. For Example: There is one comic that has smokey celebrating his birthday and on his cake instead of burning candles, there are pine trees, but a real forest fire is nothing to joke about. ( I have no clue how to spell commersials so I you fell the need, e-mail me and chew me out)