Smokey Bear, Only You Can Prevent Wildfires!

In the next spring, Japanese submarines surfaced near the Santa Barbara coast in California and fired artillery shells on oil fields that are very close to the Los Padres National Forest. Fear grew that more attacks would cause catastrophic loss of life and property damage. There are also concerns about the burning of shells in the forests of the Pacific coast that can cause many ravaged wildfires. With experienced firefighters and other physically strong men involved in the war, the community must deal with wildfire as much as possible. Protecting forests becomes a matter of national importance, and a new idea was born.

If people could be urged to be more careful, it may stop some fires. Then the first poster was delivered by Artist Albert Staehle on 10 October. The poster depicts a bear pouring a bucket of water on the bonfire. Smokey bears soon became popular, and his image began to appear on more posters and cards. Although he has done so much work, Smokey`s work is far from over. Wildfire prevention remains crucial, and he still needs your help. So you can design your custom smokey bear pins to tell people the importance of promoting wildfire prevention.