This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Smokey has WWII ties? Celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday with 8 fun facts.

Here`s a Christmas present for the whole country: Smokey the Bear, age 45, is coming back. And about time, too, according to weary forest rangers as they reflect on the nation`s worst season of wil… ...

“On Smokey's 80th birthday, it's such a good reminder of how timeless Smokey's message is, that only you can prevent wildfires,” said Sierra Hellstrom with the U.S Forest Service.

The USDA and the Ad Council initially decided that a fictional bear named Smokey would be their symbol for forest fire prevention in 1944, and by 1947, the famous catchphrase, "Only YOU can ...

Smokey Bear at a U.S. Forest Service event. “Only YOU can prevent wildfires.” Smokey Bear has advocated fire safety and prevention since 1944. At 80 years old, Smokey is the centerpiece of the ...

Smokey Bear, the recognizable mascot of wildfire prevention in the United States, turns 75 Thursday. The U.S. Forest Service started the campaign in 1944 and used it to educate the American public ...

News / Northwest Only you (almost) can put Smokey Bear on Washington license plates Free A proposal backed by Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz calls for putting the iconic bear on a specialty plate ...

Smokey the Bear turned 76 earlier this month. He may not be as familiar to our younger readers, but I bet everyone has heard his motto: “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.” “In 2001, Smokey ...

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz (right), state Sen. T’wina Nobles and Smokey Bear pose in front of a proposed speciality license plate in a Pierce County fire station on Nov. 20, 2023.

Democratic state Sen. T’wina Nobles, of Fircrest, and Rep. Brandy Donaghy, of unincorporated Snohomish County, said Monday they will sponsor Smokey Bear license plate bills in 2024.