Park Forest Service SMOKEY BEAR ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES Metal Sign

Description

Park Forest Service SMOKEY BEAR ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES Metal Sign
New/unused Original Smokey Bear Prevent Wildfires sign.
Use to mark your property boundary
or use as decoration/display in garage, business, house, man cave etc. and
help
spread Smokey's words regarding prevention of wildfires.
Diameter is approximately 4 1/2" and made of metal (aluminum).
Please see photo(s) for condition.
Thanks for looking.
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when possible for multiple purchases (
request or
wait for revised invoice before making payment
). Thank you.
Smokey Bear
Campaign/Story
In the spring of 1942 Japanese submarines surfaced near the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and fired shells that exploded on an oil field, very close to the Los Padres National Forest. Fear grew that more attacks would bring a disastrous loss of life and destruction of property. There was also a fear that incendiary shells exploding in the forests of the Pacific Coast would ignite numerous raging wildfires.
With experienced firefighters and other able-bodied men deployed in the war, communities had to deal with wildfires as best they could. Protection of forests became a matter of national importance, and a new idea was born. If people could be urged to be more careful, perhaps some of the fires could be prevented. To rally Americans to this cause, and convince them that it would help win the war, the Forest Service organized the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program with the help of the War Advertising Council and the Association of State Foresters. Together, they created posters and slogans, including "Forest Fires Aid the Enemy," and "Our Carelessness, Their Secret Weapon."
In a stroke of luck for the cause, in 1942, forests and their animal inhabitants were celebrated in Walt Disney's wildly popular motion picture, "Bambi." Disney allowed the CFFP program to use the film's characters on a 1944 poster. The "Bambi" poster was a success and proved the success of using an animal as a fire prevention symbol. However, Disney had only loaned the characters to the campaign for one year. The CFFP would need to find an animal symbol that would belong to them, and nothing seemed more fitting than the majestic, powerful (and also cute) bear.
On August 9, 1944, the creation of Smokey Bear was authorized by the Forest Service, and the first poster was delivered on October 10 by artist Albert Staehle. The poster depicted a bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire. Smokey Bear soon became popular, and his image began appearing on more posters and cards.
Adding to the popularity of Smokey Bear and his message was the rescue
by a fire crew
of a bear cub from a 1950 wildfire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. The bear cub was flown to Santa Fe where his burns were treated and bandaged. News of the rescued cub spread through the county with many people inquiring about the bears recovery.
The state game warden wrote to the chief of the Forest Service, offering to present the cub to the agency as long as the cub would be dedicated to a conservation and wildfire prevention publicity program. The cub was soon on his way to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., becoming the living symbol of Smokey Bear until his death in 1976.
Smokey's original catchphrase was "Smokey Says - Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires." In 1947, it became "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires." In 2001, it was again updated to its current version of "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" in response to a massive outbreak of wildfires in natural areas other than forests and to clarify that Smokey is promoting the prevention of unwanted and unplanned outdoor fires versus prescribed fires.
The Smokey Bear Wildfire Prevention campaign is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history, educating generations of Americans about their role in preventing wildfires. As one of the world's most recognizable characters, Smokey's image is protected by U.S. federal law and is administered by the
USDA Forest Service
,
the
National Association of State Foresters
and the
Ad Council
.
Despite the campaign's success over the years, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical issues affecting our country. Smokey's message is as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944.