What Is the Story of Smokey Bear?

He is . . .
The beloved black bear who teaches fire safety to nature lovers of all ages
The only fictional character in the United States to have their own zip code—20252
A character created in 1944 by the US Forest Service to help prevent wildfires

Who HQ brings you the stories behind the most well-known characters of our time.

In this addition to the What Is the Story Of? series, young readers will get to know American icon Smokey Bear’s history with the U.S. Forest Service and fire safety!

Created by the U.S. Forest Service in 1944 in reaction to forest fires being used as attacks during World War II, Smokey Bear has been guiding Americans through fire safety and preparedness for nearly eighty years. This American black bear known for wearing a pair of blue jeans and a forest ranger hat has found himself in classrooms, on stamps, in cartoons, on lunchboxes, in comic strips, and even as a giant balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1950, Smokey came to life when a real-life bear cub rescued from a fire in New Mexico was named Smokey and became a living version of the character. Young readers can find even more reasons to love the face of forest fire prevention in this book that tells his whole history.