With wildfire threat, ‘Smokey Bear’ urges vigilance in Manatee

Getting to hug a person in a Mickey Mouse, Easter Bunny, Donald Duck or Goofy costume is rewarding, but what do you say to them as a conversation starter?

But Smokey Bear is different.

There is one thing everyone can comfortably say to Smokey because inside the costume is always a Forest Ranger who likes to hear the same thing from everybody.

Bradenton’s Evelyn Jennings did just that when she saw senior Florida Forest Service Ranger Chris Taylor, ’er, Smokey, the world’s most instantly recognized symbol for forest fire prevention, standing outside the Wawa on State Road 70 Sunday morning wearing his forest ranger hat.

“Hello Smokey Bear,” Jennings said, eager to say the phrase that has made Smokey famous on TV and in magazines for more than 50 years.

And so she did: “Only you can prevent forest fires!”

To let Manatee and Sarasota residents and tourists know that they are not out of the woods when it comes to wildfires, the Myakka River District of the Florida Forest Service set up “Breakfast With Smokey Bear” on Sunday morning at the Wawa near Lockwood Ridge Road and State Road 70.

“We wanted to let people know to be careful with anything that generates heat,” said Patrick Mahoney, one of three Forest Service employees who came to the Wawa store with a firefighting bulldozer a week or so after the forest rangers made the request of Wawa management to hold the event.

Besides Taylor as Smokey, Eugene Clarke, a senior ranger, was also on hand to talk about fire prevention, like drowning campfires, breaking matches and crushing smokes.

A steady stream of people posed for pictures with Smokey Bear, who is based on a real bear cub nursed back to health by firefighters who found him badly burned while they were battling a forest fire many decades ago in Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico.

Named Smokey, the little cub was the face of forest fire prevention for Baby Boomers and now modern kids and his sayings, like “Repeat after me: I will be careful with matches, smokes, campfires and any fire,” and, “Remember, Smokey’s friends don’t play with matches!” seem to be taken to heart by many.

Manatee needs vigilance

The ongoing drought has set up near perfect conditions for wildfires across Florida. There are currently at least 115 wildfires across the state, impacting 30,000 acres, according to the Florida Forest Service. Thousands of people have had to be evacuated, especially in the Collier County area.

Although Manatee and Sarasota counties have been spared any major blazes, firefighters from the Myakka River District were fighting several small wildfires Sunday, specifically in Myakka City and Parrish, according to Mahoney.

The Myakka River District, which consists of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Hardee and DeSoto counties, is the second driest in the state right now, Mahoney said.

“Manatee and Sarasota are both over 600 on the drought index, which goes from zero to 800,” Mahoney said. “We are right around the 630 mark and we are drying out every day.”

Hot days with low humidity and breezy conditions have added to the fire threat, Mahoney added.

“We need significant rainfall this week, steadily, not just hit or miss stuff,” Mahoney said.

Smokey doesn’t talk but says plenty

Mahoney came to “Breakfast With Smokey Bear” with certified wild-land firefighters Eugene Clark and Taylor as Smokey.

Although he doesn’t talk in public or for the cameras, the silent Smokey still has a powerful connection with older people, who remember his vintage public service spots on TV and in magazines, and with young kids who have learned about him in school and run up to him, mostly unafraid.

Bradenton’s Fred Ball, in his 50s, stopped to shake the bear’s hand and asked, “How’re doing? Putting out all these fires?”

“Chris always volunteers to be Smokey,” Mahoney said of Taylor. “He loves getting Smokey Bear’s message out.”

The Forest Service crew might hold another public event with Smokey soon if the fire danger remains, but he is always willing to come to schools, Mahoney said. For more information on Smokey Bear: 941-213-6971.

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 2:59 PM with the headline "With wildfire threat, ‘Smokey Bear’ urges vigilance in Manatee."