The Story of Smokey Bear.......







Check Out Smokey Bear Events

Visit Capitan and Lincoln County



 On May 6, 1950, carelessness caused the Capitan Gap Fire which destroyed thousands of acres of forest and grasslands. The monetary loss, loss to the wildlife and environment was significant.




On May 9, a fire crew brought a badly singed bear cub into the fire camp. They had found the frightened cub clinging tenaciously to the side of a burnt pine tree. His burns were tended to overnight at the nearby Flatley Ranch. Smokey was then flown by Game Warden Ray Bell to the veterinary hospital in Santa Fe. While recuperating, Bell kept Smokey in his home, where, it is said, he was somewhat of a ham.



ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES

A small spark from any fireworks would start a big wildland fire.
Please be careful. Thanks.
 Smokey was nursed back to health and became a happy and playful little bear. Smokey was strong and rapidly growing. So he couldn't stay at the Game Ward's house. Smokey was already very famous all over the country. It was therefor decided that Smokey should stay in a place where everybody could pay him a visit. The best place of course was the National Zoo in Washington DC. Smokey was flown to the National Zoo where he became the living symbol for fire protection. Smokey lived in the Zoo for more than 25 years.

Using all volunteer help and funds, Capitan built a log museum to house memorabilia and tell Smokey's story.

Adjacent to the museum is the Smokey Bear Historical State Park.



When Smokey died he was flown back to Capitan to be buried in his beloved mountains in the garden at the Historical State Park.