Is Smokey Bear's Message Outdated? That's Where Burnie the Bobcat Comes In
"Step aside Smokey Bear. There’s a new mascot for fire safety in town.
Since 1944, Smokey Bear has been a reminder that “only you can prevent wildfires.” Clad in blue jeans and a ranger hat, Smokey has appeared on billboards, TV commercials and in newspapers for 80 years. That makes Smokey the longest-running public service announcement in U.S. history.
But Emily Schlickman, assistant professor of landscape architecture and environmental design at the University of California Davis, says that since the role of fire has changed in our environmental landscape, it’s time the mascot does too. Schlickman and her colleague Brett Milligan created Burnie the Bobcat, who already appears on a billboard in California."