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

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