Smokey Bear Historical Park & Visitor’s Center. In 1944 during WW II the USFS decided to use a bear to spread the fire prevention message. By 1952, Smokey Bear began to attract commercial interest. May 9, 1950, in the aftermath of a devastating fire in the Capitan Mountains, a badly burned cub was found. Smokey was born in 1950 in the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, where he was found badly burned. When Smokey grew old, plans were made for his retirement. The Real Smokey Bear. However, there was also a real, living Smokey Bear, himself the victim of a forest fire as a young cub. He became the living symbol of fire prevention, Smokey Bear. Smokey Bear (there's no "the" in his official name) has warned us about the dangers of wildfires since 1944, when the Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention Campaign was launched. The "real" Smokey Bear was a cub found in a tree in the midst of a wildfire in New Mexico's Capitan Mountains in 1950. Edit source History Talk (0) Comments Share. Back in 1950, a quite lucky little American black bear cub, “Smokey”, was caught in a huge 17,000 acre wildfire in New Mexico. The Real Smokey Bear! Email :* Categories Question-Answer. He's peering shyly up from under a campaign hat as he pours a bucket of water over a campfire. Edit. "SMOKEY … Smokey Bear has been an icon of the United States Forest Service for more than 70 years, and many people do not realize, that Smokey was a real bear. The first Smokey Bear poster shows a brown-coated bear wearing jeans. Smokey Bear soon became popular, and his image began appearing on more posters and cards. They named him after a New York Assistant Fire Chief, "Smokey" Joe Martin. As forest rangers and fire crews arrived at the scene of the fast-spreading fire, a small bear cub was discovered wandering alone near the fire line and then climbing a … It was the morning of July 6th, 1985, and a pair of campers contacted the Pierce County Sheriff’s department to complain that they had been forced out of their campsite. It is the longest running public service campaign in U.S. history. California Alaska New Mexico Georgia. The real Smokey the Bear was rescued from a wildfire in what state? Smokey Bear was a real bear! In 1979, Smokey Bear Historical Park was established to honor Capitan's Smokey Bear. At the Visitor's Center, guests find fascinating exhibits about forest health and wildfires, the science of fire ecology, and a historical look at forest fire prevention. For more trivia questions, please subscribe us. Smokey Bear, the character, was created by the Forest Service in August 1944 as the lead symbol in its Wildfire Prevention Campaign. 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