Smokey the Bear Throughout the Last 80 Years

Anyone in the United States will be familiar with Smokey the Bear, the wildfire awareness mascot that has graced roads and campgrounds for the last 80+ years.

Started by the U.S. Forest Service in 1944, the iconic bear was an actual black bear, burned but not killed in a forest fire in New Mexico. Starting as a beloved woodland animal, Smokey has evolved into a sensation that has starred in television, movies, and popular culture.

SmokeyBear.com is a charming website that documents Smokey throughout the last 80+ years, with some truly iconic posters and artwork.

Check out some of our favorites below, which range from the 1940s until 2025.

A vintage comic cover featuring Smokey Bear, showing two bears playfully embracing on a log by the water, surrounded by other woodland animals.

In 1944, the USDA Forest Service, National Association of State Foresters, and Ad Council launched the first poster featuring Smokey Bear, asking Americans to recognize their personal responsibility in preventing unwanted wildfires.

Over eight decades, Smokey and his tagline, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires,” have become a pillar in the protection of our nation’s wildlands and an American icon. He’s thrown out first pitches at baseball games, met presidents, been to space, and become a part of our lives and homes on games, hats, toys, and apparel.

Click through the gallery below to see the vintage posters larger.

A vintage poster featuring Smokey Bear, promoting forest fire prevention. He stands with a concerned expression, holding a hat, while two smaller bears look at a cross.

Illustration featuring Smokey Bear with three young people outdoors. Text reads '80 YEARS OF PREVENTING WILDFIRES TOGETHER'. The scene includes a tent, campfire, and camping equipment, emphasizing fire safety.

Promotional poster for a Thanksgiving special featuring Smokey Bear, narrated by James Cagney, showcasing a group of animated forest animals, including a bear, squirrel, rabbit, owl, and turtle.

Vintage fire prevention poster featuring a cartoon bear holding a shovel, with text warning about the dangers of fire and urging forest fire prevention.

An illustrated poster featuring Smokey Bear advising to keep safety in mind around a fire pit. Smokey Bear is shown kneeling with a bucket of water, near a fire pit. The background includes a house and trees under a night sky.

Illustration of Smokey Bear advising to extinguish hot coals at a campsite, with mountains in the background and text promoting wildfire prevention.

A cartoon bear wearing a ranger hat with the word 'SMOKEY' on it, under the bold text 'THINK'.

A bear wearing a ranger hat with the word 'SMOKEY' on it, surrounded by the repeated text 'Think' in a bold font, and the word 'Thanks' at the bottom.

Smokey’s iconic slogan is, of course:

“ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES”

Nearly 9 out of 10 wildfires are caused by people and could have been prevented.”

Check out Smokeythebear.com to going through the entire 80 year history.

Vintage poster featuring Smokey Bear holding a sign and standing in a forest, surrounded by smaller animals. Text advises on preventing wildfires.

A vintage illustration featuring Smokey Bear teaching two younger bears in a forest setting, with a chalkboard displaying a simple equation.

A bear named Smokey holding a shovel, promoting wildfire prevention with a group of campers by a fire.

Via Kottke:

Discover more from Moss and Fog

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

4 Comments

Pingback: - • Fog Signals - • Weekly Round Up, August 17 | Moss and Fog
Mary 8 months ago

Why don’t we see more public announcements regarding the environment as there was years ago. We need to educate/remind people about how their behavior impacts the environment.

Loading...
butterfly9591 8 months ago

Cool Posters

Loading...
Jim H 8 months ago

I grew up with Smokey saying “Only YOU can prevent FOREST fires.” I never heard him talk about wildfires, but with all the wildfire smoke coming down from Canada this summer, perhaps we need to loan our Smokey to the neighbors Up North.

Loading...