In the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, a black bear cub found himself in a forest surrounded by flames. To escape the fire burning around him, he climbed up in a tree. By the time the fire fighters found the scared and hungry cub, the forest was charred and blackened. The firefighters, park forest rangers and the warden were so moved by the bravery of this little cub that they named him Smokey. They put him on a plane and sent him to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. to live.
“Smokey the Bear” becomes a symbol for forest fire prevention.