Smokey Bear is hitting the big 8-0 this year. For generations his voice has echoed through time “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” The Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCFPA) will celebrate 80 years of Smokey Bear and his timely message at the Western Montana Fair this Friday, August 9th, starting at noon.
Even after 80 years, Smokey Bear remains one of the most recognized icons, second only to Santa Claus. Smokey can even be considered an “influencer” with over 360,000 followers on his Facebook page (SmokeyBear) and 219,000 followers on Instagram (@SmokeyBear). His message of wildfire prevention continues to be relevant to this day. On average, 75% of Montana’s wildfires are traced to human causes.
The public is invited to celebrate Smokey’s birthday with the MCFPA this Friday at the Missoula Fairgrounds, 1101 South Avenue West. The party will kick off at noon with a reading of the “Smokey Bear Story.” There will be goodie bags for children (while supplies last) and a birthday card coloring station. A reliable source has indicated that Smokey might even show up for photo ops with kids of all ages. And if you can’t make it at noon, the entire thing will be repeated at 4pm, because you only turn 80 once! So head to the Fair, meet members of the MCFPA, learn about wildfire preparedness and prevention, and grab a photo op with an iconic influencer. Who knows, if Smokey still feels like partying after all of this, he could just show up at the Rodeo Friday night, say 7pm? After all, 80 is the new 40!
