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Celebrating Smokey's 80th, honoring wildfire prevention heroes

The Smokey Bear awards ceremony will be broadcast live

Robert Westover, Alex Demas
USDA Forest Service, Office of Communication
August 7, 2024

We’re celebrating Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday, by honoring wildfire prevention heroes. Heroes like Lassie, Walt Disney Productions and the San Diego Padres, who have all been awarded for their devotion to wildfire prevention with the Smokey Bear Award! First issued in 1957 by President Eisenhower, the Smokey Bear Award is the pinnacle of honor in wildfire prevention and increases public recognition and awareness of the ongoing need for wildfire prevention efforts.

Image shows President Eisenhower handing a young woman a golden statue of Smokey Bear in front of a tree.
 In this photo, President Eisenhower is handing the Golden Smokey to Judy Bell, the awards first recipient, who received the award in 1958 on the South Lawn of the White House. (Courtesy photo)

In an effort to bring in a wider audience, this year the award ceremony, actually happening on Smokey’s 80th birthday, will be broadcast live via the USDA and Forest Service social media channels including Facebook and Instagram. The live broadcast will begin at 12:30 EDT this Friday, August 9 and continue through the end of the ceremony.

Vintage poster of Smokey
Smokey’s first-ever appearance, where he cautions viewers to make sure to put out campfires and prevent any accidental fires. (USDA Forest Service image)

This ceremony is part of a broader campaign to celebrate 80 years of wildfire prevention messaging through everyone’s favorite forest ranger bear. This includes a float in the Rose Parade and a balloon in the upcoming Thanksgiving Day parade.

80 Years of Wildfire Messaging

First appearing on a wildfire prevention poster in August of 1944, Smokey Bear quickly became a popular image to help the public understand the importance of preventing wildfire. But it was the introduction of a live bear with a compelling story that catapulted Smokey into the nation’s consciousness.

In 1950, a wildfire in New Mexico orphaned a black bear cub. One of the New Mexico firefighters, taking pity on the cub, took him home and helped get him medical attention. Later, he offered the cub to the Forest Service with the condition that the bear be dedicated to conservation.

The Forest Service accepted both the cub and the condition, and the newly christened Smokey Bear would live out the rest of his days at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, a living embodiment of the importance of wildfire prevention.

That personal connection many people felt with Smokey helped the original goal of educating Americans about the dangers and risks of wildfire, how they could prevent wildfires.

Landmark Birthdays through the Years

Eighty is a big number, a landmark birthday even. Past birthday celebrations have had Smokey honored by Congress, a Smokey Bear doll was launched into space with NASA, his image has been put on postage stamps and license plates and even given an exhibit again at the National Zoo where he lived back in the day.

Image shows a doll of Smokey Bear floating in front of an open hatch inside the International Space Station.
On May 15, 2012, Smokey Bear traveled along with NASA astronaut Joe Acaba to the International Space Station for his 68th birthday celebrations on August 9, 2012. His message has always been out of this world, after all. (Image courtesy of NASA)

Like all of us, Smokey Bear has changed over the years. From illustrations to live-action portrayals to even CGI, Smokey has been seen in all mediums. However, the core of his image, the Forest Ranger hat, the shovel and the blue jeans, remains the same.

Similarly, the wording of Smokey’s charge has changed a bit over the years, but the core message remains the same. From the original message of “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires” to “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” the idea of preventing unplanned human-caused wildfires has remained consistent.

More than 15 people in blue jumpsuits and vests that read “Smokey” stand on a street holding ropes that lead up to a large three-dimensional balloon of Smokey Bear holding a shovel and waving his other hand.
Smokey Bear delivers his fire prevention message at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (USDA Forest Service photo by Devante Lockamy)

Award-Winning Connections

The Smokey Bear awards honor those people and organizations who work to continue that connection the public has with Smokey and wildfire prevention. There are three levels of recognition:

  • The Golden Smokey for national wildfire prevention efforts for over a two-year period

  • The Silver Smokey, for regional wildfire prevention efforts for over a two-year period

  • The Bronze Smokey, for local wildfire prevention efforts for over a two-year period

All three levels are prestigious accolades, reserved for a select few individuals or organizations, and recognize sustained, outstanding service in wildfire prevention programs. They honor those who embody innovation, creativity, commitment, and a deep-seated passion for wildfire prevention.

Forest Service employees march in uniforma and riding mules.
The Forest Service all-mule color guard on Colorado Blvd., followed by the mule-drawn wagon in the 2024 Rose Parade. Smokey Bear rides in a float in his honor, celebrating his 80th birthday. (USDA Forest Service photo by Tom Stokesberry)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council, upholds the time-honored tradition of the National Smokey Bear Awards. For more information on Smokey Bear and the yearlong celebration of his 80th birthday go to www.smokeybear.com or https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/smokey-bear.