# Who said: Only YOU can prevent wild fires? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691 "2007-03-27T15:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/41 "2007-03-27T19:36:46Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Tonstant Weader fwowed up. [/QUOTE] Funny as Dorothy Parker could be, I still like my Pooh (the REAL Pooh, not the stupid movies or TV) better. I also like Katharine Hepburn, and have had quite a few passes made at me in my life despite my vision correction appliances. So sue me. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/42 "2007-03-27T20:49:06Z")
[QUOTE=Kevbo] I have been both Smokey Bear (several times) and Woodsy Owl once. Kevbabe works for the Forest Service, and I get recruited. Actually it’s fun, and I don’t have to (and am not even supposed to) talk to anybody. [/QUOTE] Can’t talk to anyone, huh? Damn it, I really want to know how I’m supposed to prevent lightning strikes in the forest. The rumor is that only I can do it, but I still haven’t figured it out. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/43 "2007-03-27T20:53:43Z")
[QUOTE=Dag Otto] I really want to know how I’m supposed to prevent lightning strikes in the forest. The rumor is that only I can do it, but I still haven’t figured it out. [/QUOTE] Be fair. He didn’t say ‘Only you can prevent _every_ forest fire’. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/44 "2007-03-27T22:31:03Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Be fair. He didn’t say ‘Only you can prevent _every_ forest fire’. [/QUOTE] Good to know. I don’t even spend much time in the forest. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/45 "2007-03-27T23:02:02Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] Who remembers these words painted on the highway? ``` DON'T BE A GUBERIF ``` [/QUOTE] Wait, so I shouldn’t be the opposite of a firebug? ::wanders off looking for kindling and a lighter ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/46 "2007-03-27T23:03:49Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Ah, yes. Highway Poetry. [Burma Shave](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_shave) [/QUOTE] Thank you! I was trying to spell something out of Burma Shave backwards. :smack: Eva H. Sam-Rub 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/47 "2007-03-28T01:17:21Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] IIRC, the original Smokey was a real bear – a cub rescued from a forest fire. His name was thus “Smok[e]y Bear.” I guess there’s something about a Mountie hat that calls for a “the.” [/QUOTE] [Apparantly not.](http://www.gallupindependent.com/2004/05may04/050604forest.html) ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/48 "2007-03-28T01:34:49Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Eva H. Sam-Rub [/QUOTE] If there hasn’t been a user (or a band) with that name yet, I predict there soon will be 😃 [Quote=Zeldar] > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Otto > Tonstant Weader fwowed up. Now this I do understand! [/quote] Yes, but does **Twickster**? d&r ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/49 "2007-03-28T01:36:53Z")
Bear statue: Only _who_ can prevent forest fires? [Bart pushes the ‘you’ button] You said ‘you’, referring to me. The correct answer is ‘me’, referring to ‘you.’ Bart: Mom, can we go outside, away from the bear? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/50 "2007-03-28T04:49:05Z")
I can supply a 1946 newspaper cite talking about “Smokey the Bear.” There are precious few citings of the bear before 1950. In fact, the cite above is the only one I can find in my newspaper database, from 1930-1949. And I searched for “Smokey Bear” and “Smokey the Bear.” ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/51 "2007-03-28T08:56:34Z")
I think that it is hilarious that the U.S. Forest Service has this _perfect_ icon – famous for over a half-century. Everyone is familiar with this symbol. Everyone knows what his name is, what he looks like and what he says. So what does the U.S. Forest Service do? They change his name and what he says! “So remember kids, uh…only you can…er…wait…it’ll come to me…um…” Well, what did you expectate? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/52 "2007-03-28T09:14:52Z")
[QUOTE=Stuffy] There use to be this Native American guy that used to cry at the sight of litter. I can’t remember who made it but Family Guy spoofed it. [/QUOTE] No offense… but far too powerful a commercial message to let your description stand. Was just jaw dropping in it’s day… ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/g1MYY-IQ_yU/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/g1MYY-IQ_yU?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691/53 "2007-03-28T13:47:05Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] [Apparantly not.](http://www.gallupindependent.com/2004/05may04/050604forest.html) [/QUOTE] More ignorance fought! Thanks, **Czarcasm** – you’d think I’d know by now to research first, post later. (And I’m going to loftily ignore **Quiddity** ’s aspersions on my cultural literacy.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-said-only-you-can-prevent-wild-fires/397691.md?page=2)