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Smokey the Bear - New Mexico Treasure - previous features
By Laird Smith

This is a quote from the official Smokey the Bear website:
"Smokey Bear has been working for over 50 years to remind Americans of the importance of outdoor fire safety and wildfire prevention. With reports of devastating wildfire increasing, Smokey Bear's wildfire prevention message is more vital today than ever before."
A more complete story about the emergence of Smokey the Bear as the anti- fire symbol is found at a Capitan NM website. A poster was created in 1944 with Smokey the Bear on it and then it seems that in 1950 a 17,000 acre fire in the Capitan Gap forced a bear cub up a tree. The cub was rescued and was first named "Hotfoot" but he became Smokey Bear very quickly.

In 1984 a .20 cent stamp was made featuring a drawing of Smokey clinging to that tree and the stamp was introduced first in Capitan NM. This was the first time a single animal had been featured on a postage stamp in the United States. At the height of his popularity it was necessary to give Smokey his very own ZIP code because of the numerous letters sent to him. Smokey is one of New Mexico's favorite contributions to the world. Now school children everywhere can complete the sentence, "Only you...", by properly adding, "...can prevent forest fires."
Now there are Smokey the Bear toys, a "Ballad of Smokey the Bear" TV special, a pet cemetary bearing (no pun inteded) Smokey's name, politcal satire using Smokey as a foile, and of course teddy bears in his image. Just put "Smokey the Bear" in the Google search box and see what you get! But the real thing, the real, living Smokey Bear was a New Mexican born, raised and buried here with great fondness.