OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, Smokey Bear was an icon that commanded our full attention to when he said, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” While that message has changed slightly, the impact of Smokey’s words can still be felt.
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Ludie Bond, wildfire mitigation specialist and public information officer with the Florida Forest Service (FFS). She brought a friend with her, too; that legendary wildfire-preventing bear.
A journey into forestry
Bond has been with the FFS for more than 20 years. She has her undergraduate degree in public relations. She initially started her career in that field. After making friends with some folks in the FFS, she decided to pursue public relations in forestry. “I just love it,” she said. “A huge part of my job is communicating with varying audiences and the media about fire, both wildfire and prescribed fire. So, I’m very passionate about my job and I just really enjoy it.”
Bond also just upgraded her education by earning a doctorate degree in prescribed fire communications.
Celebrating Smokey Bear’s legacy
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Smokey Bear, the iconic figure in wildfire prevention. Smokey’s message has evolved from “Only you can prevent forest fires,” to “Only you can prevent wildfires” to promote the use of prescribed fire. Smokey Bear’s campaign is the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history, according to his website.
Big Birthday Bash This Saturday
Smokey Bear took a moment out of his busy schedule to visit with Hunter & Dupree on Wind-FM, and the Mr. Bob Morning Show on 93.7 K-Country. While he remained silent, his presence was huge. And with Bond as his mouthpiece, he shared some fun events to celebrate his 80th birthday. After all, it’s not every day a big brown bear becomes an octogenarian.
“This coming Saturday (July 27) we have two huge birthday bash parties in Ocala,” Bond announced. “The first is from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Silver Springs State Park. We’re going to have cake and ice cream, of course.” She also says there will be photo opportunities with Smokey, arts and crafts, snacks, and array of firefighting equipment to tour.
The second event begins at 2 p.m. at the Marion County Public Library Headquarters on Silver Springs Blvd. just east of SE 25th Ave. because, as Bond says, “Smokey is a real party animal.” Bond promises more cake and ice cream with the nation’s favorite bear, plus giveaways and souvenirs at each event.
A display of prints by Rudy Wendelin prints is on loan from the U.S. National Agriculture Library in Washington, D.C., for you to see. “Rudy Wendelin was an illustrator here in our nation’s history that the U.S. Forest Service commissioned from 1977 to 1995. He illustrated hundreds of prints giving Smokey his humanlike characteristics.”
Going back to where it all began
In 1950, a bear cub was rescued from a wildfire in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, Bond says. This cub, who was named Smokey, became the living symbol of the wildfire prevention campaign. Smokey Bear’s story captured the nation’s heart and has been a cornerstone of wildfire prevention ever since.
The song that caused confusion
Bond tells us that many refer to their favorite fire-preventing bear as “Smokey the Bear.” This came about after country star Eddy Arnold recorded a song written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins. The song was part of a public service announcement commissioned by the U.S. Forestry Service in 1952. The story goes that Nelson and Rollins added “the” to make the song flow better. Thus, the confusion. While we got Bond to sing a bit of the song for us, we decided that it would be best to leave the singing to the professionals.
What the Florida Forest Service does
The FFS is the primary initial attack agency for wildfires in the state, Bond says, covering both public and private lands, except for federal lands like national parks and forests. “We do a lot of wildland firefighting and prescribed burning,” Bond said. “We manage about 31 or 32 state forests, which are used for recreation, timber production, and conservation.”
Why prescribed burns are so important
Bond says that prescribed burns are imperative to maintaining healthy forests. They help reduce wildfire risk and promote healthy habitats for plant and animal species. “Many people don’t know that for every one tree harvested in Florida, three more are planted,” said Bond, noting that makes an entire crop over time.
How fire plays a significant role in Florida’s ecosystem
In Florida, not all wildfires are bad. Many plant and animal species depend on the natural occurrence of fire to maintain healthy habitats, Bond says. The FFS manages these fires to make sure that they benefit the ecosystem without threatening communities.
Preparing for wildfires
“As far as wildland firefighters, we train year-round. Our men and women are constantly staying in really good physical shape. They’re always working out,” said Bond. “They’re always checking their equipment. They’re always practicing their training techniques.”
She adds that homeowners can also take steps to protect their property, like clearing ignitable materials from roofs and gutters and keeping vegetation trimmed back.
Hurricanes + wildfires = not a good mix
Hurricanes can significantly impact wildfire risk by knocking down trees and vegetation, which Bond says creates more fuel for fires. The FFS has plans in place to manage these increased risks, including using air resources and containment lines.
Don’t forget you can track Florida wildfires
“Well, as far as current wildfire weather conditions like is it too dry? Is it too windy? Where are the current county burn bans? What’s the drought index? You can go to the Florida Forest Service webpage and go to the current wildfire conditions link on that page,” Bond said. “We have two dashboards. If you want to know where the wildfires are occurring, that dashboard is there. If you want to know where the prescribed burns are going on, is it a pile burn? Is it an acreage burn? That dashboard is there, as well.”
Bond says that all links, plus helpful videos and information are located at the Florida Department of Agriculture’s website.