Why Smokey’s mission is so important

• Each year, fire kills more Americans than all natural disasters combined.
• Wildfire consumes on average over 4,083,347 acres in the US alone.
• 9 out of 10 wildfires are started by people.  Wildfires are often ignited through discarded smoking products, sparks from equipment in operation, arced power lines, campfires, arson, debris burning and other careless means.
• In 1995, there were 9,974 wildfires caused by lightning and 120,045 wildfires caused by human error.
• In 2000, 7.5 million acres burned in the U.S.; this is an area roughly equal to the size of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Royalties from the Smokey Bear Licensing Program help prevent wildfires