The iconic Smokey Bear wildfire prevention campaign is celebrating 80 years. This public service campaign, created in partnership between the Ad Council, the US Forest Service, and the National Association of State Foresters, is the longest continuously running public service campaign in the United States.
According to USDA Forest Service historian Lincoln Bramwell, the campaign’s message has been adjusted over time, with the most significant change occurring in 2001. Bramwell said, “The formal message changed from ‘only you can prevent forest fires’ to ‘only you can prevent wildfires.’ This change was made to acknowledge how wildfires and fire events can occur in various ecological conditions, not just in standing forests. It also recognized other types of fuel such as grass fires and prairie fires.”
USDA’s Rod Bain reports:
