Smokey Bear is arguably the most effective advertising campaign in American history—but Smokey’s message created a fear in many of us that’s led to a misunderstanding of fire.
"Fire is so graphic, and so visceral in a way, that people use it to animate some other agenda, so we end up not really talking about fire and how to deal with the fire problem." —Steven Pyne
In this first episode of California Burning, we explore what Smokey got wrong and learn how a series of unprecedented wildfires in the early twentieth century sparked forest management policies that have contributed to the catastrophic wildfires we’re experiencing today.
Featuring Smokey Bear biographer James Lewis and forest historians Steven Pyne and Char Miller.
All episodes are also available on iTunes and Spotify.
