This version of the slogan was used continually in Smokey Bear campaigns[5][6] until April 2001, when the message was officially updated to "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.

"[6] This change was made in response to a massive outbreak of wildfires occurring in natural areas other than forests (such as grasslands),[7][2] and to clarify that Smokey was promoting the prevention of unplanned outdoor fires, not prescribed burns.

According to the Ad Council, in 2018, 80% of outdoor recreationists correctly identified Smokey Bear's image, and 8 in 10 recognized the campaign’s public service announcements.

At the time, many experienced firefighters and other able-bodied men were serving in the armed forces, leaving fewer at home to fight wildfires.

U.S. planners hoped that, if Americans knew how wildfires would harm the war effort, they would work with the Forest Service to reduce their occurrence.

[12][13] The Forest Service began using colorful posters to educate Americans about the dangers of wildfires in the hope that local communities could prevent them from starting in the first place.

The Japanese military implemented a concerted wildfire strategy later in the war, launching some 9,000 fire balloons into the jet stream; an estimated 11% of these reached the U.S. between November 1944 and April 1945.

[12] After much discussion, a bear was chosen, based on a rough sketch made by Forest Service artist Harry Rossoll.

[29] Bell, his wife Ruth, and their children, Don and Judy, cared for the little bear with the help of local veterinarian Dr. Edwin J.

[20] According to The New York Times obituary for Homer C. Pickens, then assistant director of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, he kept the cub on his property for a while before flying with the bear to D.C.[31][32][28] Soon after, Smokey was flown in a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser airplane to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.[28] A special room was prepared for him at the Saint Louis Zoo for an overnight fuel stop during the trip, and when he arrived at the National Zoo on June 27, 1950, several hundred spectators, including members of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, photographers, and media, were there to welcome him.

During that time he received millions of visitors and so many letters addressed to him (more than 13,000 a week) that in 1964 the United States Postal Service gave him his own ZIP Code (20252), which is still in use.

[40] Smokey quickly became a part of American popular culture, appearing on radio programs, in comic strips, in cartoons, and as merchandise.

Also in 1952, songwriters Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins produced a successful song, titled "Smokey the Bear," and performed by Eddy Arnold.

It depicted him as an orphaned cub rescued in the aftermath of a forest fire, loosely following the true story of the bear who had been chosen as Smokey's "living symbol".

[30] During the 1950s and 1960s, the Ad Council sponsored radio advertisements featuring Smokey Bear "in conversation" with prominent American celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Art Linkletter, Dinah Shore and Roy Rogers.

[46][47][48] Smokey's name and image are used for the Smokey Bear Awards, which are awarded by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and the Ad Council, to "recognize outstanding service in the prevention of human-caused wildfires and to increase public recognition and awareness of the need for continuing fire prevention efforts".

[49][50] The face of Smokey Bear occasionally appeared (usually on jumpers) in some episodes of the Canadian television series The Forest Rangers.

Both iterations of the animatronic figure have asked visitors to take the pledge to "never, ever play with matches or leave any fire unattended".

[52] The Beach Boys quote Smokey Bear in their 1964 song "Drive-In": "If you say you watch the movie you're a couple of liars / and 'Remember only you can prevent forest fires'".

[53] For Smokey's 40th anniversary in 1984, he was honored with a U.S. postage stamp, illustrated by Rudy Wendelin, that pictured a cub hanging onto a burned tree.

[55] The commercial for his 50th anniversary portrayed woodland animals about to have a surprise birthday party for Smokey, including a cake with candles.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba and the Expedition 31 crew chose a plush Smokey doll to be the team's launch mascot, celebrating their trip to the International Space Station.

[62] In 2016, the campaign launched a new series of PSAs that aimed to increase awareness about less commonly known ways that wildfires can start.

[63] In 2017, the campaign launched new videos and artwork inspired by Smokey Bear posters to continue to raise awareness of lesser-known wildfire starts.

The new artwork was created by Brian Edward Miller, Evan Hecox, Janna Mattia, and Victoria Ying, portraying Smokey Bear in each of their unique styles.

In celebration of Smokey's 75th birthday in 2019, public service announcements featuring emoji-based versions of the character were introduced, with the voices of Stephen Colbert, Jeff Foxworthy, and Al Roker.

In 1956, Smokey made a cameo appearance in the Walt Disney short film In the Bag with a voice provided by Jackson Weaver.

[82] During the 1969–1970 television season, Rankin/Bass also produced a weekly Saturday Morning cartoon series for ABC, called The Smokey Bear Show.

Below her is the message "Only YOU can prevent V-Buck scams", warning players not to risk security compromises by attempting to obtain free virtual currency offered by hackers as bait.

[citation needed] Periodic low-intensity wildfires are also an integral component of certain ecosystems that evolved to take advantage of natural fires, such as Douglas fir, chaparral and closed-cone conifer forest habitats, which need fire for cones to open and seeds to sprout, and germinate and grow better in open burn sites.