Name/Title
Prevent Forest Fires (1979)Description
This embroidered 3-inch by 3.5-inch patch with a light blue background features Smokey Bear, with his name in black on his beige hat. Smokey is standing in a forest behind a white sign with "Prevent Forest Fires" in green letters. The background landscape includes blue skies, birds in flight, green trees, snow-capped mountains, and wildlife drinking from a flowing body of water.
Smokey Bear started his career as an advocate for fire prevention began in 1944. He has been a familiar visitor to Ohio since 1966, when he made his first appearance at the Natural Resources Park. During his more than 50 years of working at the State Fair, Smokey has welcomed more than a million visitors, but his special talent is personally greeting as many children as he can. With a little help from his friends, he somehow knows who is stopping by to learn more about Ohio natural resources, and his welcome sets the tone for all the fun activities and fascinating displays at the Natural Resources Park.
The original Smokey worked at the Fair until 2015, when he decided to retire and let a new Smokey take on the important task of spreading the message that “only you can prevent forest fires.” The new Smokey hails from Cincinnati and came equipped with more weatherproof outerwear and his own high-tech accessories. He doesn’t have to go into hibernation and keeps a watchful eye on his little woods in the middle of Columbus year-round.