Since 1944, Smokey Bear has been the symbol of the protection of America's forests. More than 60 years later, he is still wearing his blue jeans, but his trademark line has received an update. It's now: "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires." And for good reason- the destruction of land by fire has expanded beyond just the forest.
"Wildfire" refers to any uncontrolled, outdoor fire. The year 2000 marked one of the greatest acreage losses to wildfire since 1957. Eight million acres burned that year (about the size of New Hampshire), and of that more than 3 million acres were lost due to fires caused by humans.
To renew the important message of wildfire prevention to Americans, Smokey has recently enlisted the help of Bambi. Smokey has an experienced partner in Bambi, who was actually the first face of the forest fire prevention message in 1942. FCB-Southern California, who has worked on the campaign since the beginning, featured Bambi on posters to remind us to be careful with our forests. The latest spots featuring Bambi ask us all to "Don't Let Our Forests Become Once Upon a Time."
All the PSAs direct people to www.smokeybear.com to learn all about wildfires and how we can protect our forests.