Smokey Bear Argumentative Essay: Raging Fires

Raging Fires

“ Ninety-five percent of the nation’s adults and seventy-seven percent of its children can recite Smokey Bear’s slogan, and as for the bear himself, well, only Santa Claus ranks higher as a recognizable icon” ( Spinal 38). “Only you can prevent forest fires” were Smokey Bear’s iconic words, known by nearly every American in the Twentieth Century (“The True Story of Smokey Bear”). However, why was Smokey Bear needed? Why were forest fires on the increase? Actually, during World War II, Japan wanted to attack California’s forests as a scare tactic, playing on the country’s fears of losing valuable timber. Smokey Bear helped America prevent forest fires to preserve timber from being destroyed (Spinal 38). The acres lost due to fires decreased from 22

million to 5 million a year (Ad Council). Through the Ad Council’s successful awareness campaign in the 1940’s, Smokey Bear, the face of fire prevention and awareness, single-handedly changed the way forests fires were prevented in the United States.
The attack from the Japanese during WWII was one of the main reasons why America created Smokey Bear, although another major reason was to decrease the amount of man made forest fires. America was fearful of losing timber, since, in the 1940s, Americans used an excessive amounts of wood to build because steel or other metal products were not plentifully produced or accessible. The anxiety was widespread. “The federal government feared both that the enemy incendiary shells would explode in the nation’s forests and that Americans carelessness would rob the nation of its vital timber supply” (Spinal 39). The Japanese attacked with an aircraft called the Yokosuka E14Y1 dropping two bombs that weighed 180 pounds on American forests trying to cause a fire (“Mainland Attacks- West Coast”). The attack on California from the Japanese instigated America to get involved with World War II (Spinal 39). However, the problem of losing timber because of the attack was not the only thing that Americans had in mind. Although we lost timber from the attack, we also lost much of our profitable timber because of many careless acts by our nation. In the 1950’s the amount of tourists increased drastically in the United States of America. Tourists would visit these national forests and start careless forest fire, such those caused by unextinguished cigarettes and campfires. These fires threatened America’s timber industry greatly (Haggerty 28). Americans realized they must find a solution, and asked Disney to use Bambi, a well-known movie character, as a temporary mascot. In 1942, Disney lent Bambi to help diminished the amount of man made forests fire, but Disney only allowed the U.S Forest Service to use Bambi for a year. Therefore, this led to the creation of Smokey Bear (“The Story Behind Smokey Bear” 32).
Although Bambi was a great icon to help prevent forests fires because of its storyline, the U.S Forest Service had to find a new icon to replace Bambi’s message (“The Story Behind Smokey Bear”). The U.S Forest Service asked the Ad Council to help them create an icon that would be effective on lowering the percentage of forest fires (Spinal 39). The Ad Council came through. Finding a solution, they created Smokey Bear. Smokey Bear's figure was created by a man named, Albert Staehle, and he was immediately embraced by the public. “Wearing blue jeans and a golden belt buckle, donning flat-brimmed khaki hat, and staring at his audience with a human/ursine curiosity, Smokey Bear is the embodiment of the longest-running public service ad campaign in the nation’s history” (Spinal 38). Smokey Bear had one clear focus, and it was to inform people about of wildfires and reduce the amount of fires in nature (“Wildfire Prevention”). However, the Ad Council had to realize that they had to do something to help Smokey Bear become well known by children and adults in America. In Valles Caldera, there is a Smokey Bear prevention signs along Highway 4, because of the fire of 2011 (Joyce). The fire of 2011 lasted approximately thirteen hours, starting at 1pm because of trees falling onto a power line. Burning everything in its path, the fire burned 156,000 acres of land (“The Las Conchas Fire”).
Smokey Bear was a great message for young children; he taught them how to use fire properly (Thode). To successfully do this the Ad Council set up Smokey Bear's own TV show where he informed and advised children how to prevent forest fires from happening. Encouraging children that they could make a difference, children started making an effort to halt forest fires (PSA). Although the real Smokey Bear came after the icon, he sure did not hurt Smokey’s chances of being successful. The real Smokey Bear was found in a devastating fire by a ranger. The bear cub was hurt a the ranger brought to the cub to a vet. People, but mostly children were able to see the real Smokey Bear and this made people realize that they must do something about the devastating fires to protect America's wonderful forests and wildlife (Spinal 38). Smokey Bear’s words spread, and more people were able to recognize Smokey Bears teachings. Although Smokey Bear has had a positive impact on our forests he has had negative impact.
Many Americans think that Smokey Bear only saved our forests, but in reality he also harmed them.

One of Smokey Bear's most honorable accomplishments was when his campaign decreased the amount annual acres lost due to fires. An average of twenty-two million acres were lost in the 1940s, but because of Smokey Bear's teachings the number decreased to five million (Spinal 38). As a result of Smokey Bear's cute, friendly, and straightforward message, clubs were created for kids to support his message: “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Around 4,000,000 kids were involved with these clubs, and around 3,000-4,000 new members joined every week. As Smokey Bear's message started to spread, people started to a contribute more effort in helping prevent forest fires (“The Story Behind Smokey Bear”). Smokey Bear was a positive message to young children; he taught them how to use fire properly and advised them that they should not start fires, such as campfires, if they do not know how to extinguish them properly (Thode). Although Smokey Bear's message was a very important, powerful, and helpful message, it was helpful to stop man made forest fires, sadly it can not be said for naturally made forest

fires.
“ Fewer fires caused the forests to grow more densely, and for grasses and dead trees to accumulate on the forest floor” (Schwartz). Trees and grass are dying, is is possible Smokey is making matters worst? Well, Smokey was made to stop forest fires completely , but what Americans do not realize is that if forest fires were to be stop completely, it would cause the amount of fuel on earth surface to accumulate in forests and could cause a massive fire, destroying majority of our vegetation (Omi). Smokey Bear’s message was one of the most effective in American history, with a humongous effect on our forests and fires caused by mankind.
In the 1940s the Ad Council created Smokey Bear as a spokes-men of fire prevention in America, with success Smokey Bear lowered the amount of man made forest fires. Smokey Bear’s message is known by ninety six percent of American adults, and seventy percent can still recite Smokey Bears slogan. Smokey Bear is still having an impact on man made fires, because of this the Ad Council says “Smokey Bear won’t be retiring anytime soon” (“Wildfire prevention”).