Smokey Bear is turning 80—but forest fires have never been worse

Wildfires have raged for decades—an average of 70,000 a year in the U.S. since 1983. But they’re increasing and intensifying, last year ravaging Canada, tearing through Greece, and devastating the island of Maui.



This acceleration, driven by the climate crisis, makes the message of America’s longest-running PSA campaign all the more important. This year, Smokey Bear turns 80, and to mark the anniversary, the same organizations that created the original character are releasing an ad looking at his impact over the decades. It’s designed to let older viewers reminisce, while raising awareness for the younger generations.



Smokey’s first appearance. [Image: Ad Council]



Most Americans will immediately recognize Smokey, the iconic black bear in blue jeans and a ranger hat, equipped with a shovel. The fictional critter first appeared on a poster in 1944, pouring a bucket of water over a campfire. Since then, the mascot of the U.S. Forest Service has graced TV screens, billboards, and social media, educating the public about wildfire safety. He’s “one of the most loved issue ambassadors of all time,” says Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer for the Ad Council, a nonprofit that uses creative marketing to help solve social issues.



Early Smokey Bear notices from ca. 1958 and 1940. [Images: Rudy Wendelin/David Pollack(photograph)/Corbis/Getty Images (left), Corbis/Getty Images (left)]



The Ad Council and FCB Creative designed a two-minute spot taking viewers through Smokey’s past eight decades. It’s laced with nostalgia, from the cars to the clothes, from the camper vans and hippy flares of the ’60s, to the denim overload of the ’80s.



In these scenes, campers and hikers carefully avoid forest fires by putting out campfires, disposing of hot coals from outdoor grills, and properly securing car tow chains, which can create sparks on the road. In the ad, Smokey transforms into these ordinary people as they remember their responsibilities. “For decades, I’ve taught you everything you know,” he says.



[Image: Ad Council]



He highlights what has always been the message: that people have “personal responsibility” for avoiding wildfires as they interact with nature, given that 87% of wildfires in 2022 started because of human error. “Only you can prevent wildfires,” he ends the ad with his trademark phrase.









In the spot, which will broadcast across various media, Smokey is voiced by Atlanta’s Brian Tyree Henry, who joins actors like Sam Elliott and Betty White, who’ve previously lent their voices to the bear. With a new star, the creators hope to capture new generations even as the ad dwells on the past.



“Smokey’s message really is even more relevant today than it was 80 years ago,” Hillman says. Today’s wildfires are more frequent, longer, and more destructive; the wildfire season in the Western U.S. today is 100 days longer than in 1970. Nationwide, fires burn about 3 million more hectares of tree cover per year compared to 2001—an area approximately the size of Belgium.



Climate change is the “main driver” of this intensification, according to an NOAA study. Extreme temperatures dry out land, resulting in a perfect environment for fires to occur more regularly and for longer. It also creates a “fire-climate feedback loop” whereby fires release emissions, which in turn compound the climate crisis. “At any given moment in the country, it is fire season somewhere,” Hillman says.



But Hillman also emphasizes other causes, like more homes built near forests and more outdoor recreation, especially in the post-pandemic era. . “We don’t want to say that all of them are because of climate change,” she says, adding that they want to show that humans have a significant role in prevention, even if it’s hard to take on climate change individually. “What Smokey has always been about is really making sure we’re empowering humans to play their part,” Hillman says.