In the early years

In the early years of our national parks system, fire was seen as something that destroyed scenic beauty and wildlife. The first national park wardens (called Fire and Game Guardians) were hired in 1909 primarily to extinguish wildfires.

Fire was viewed as a destroyer of wildlife and scenic beauty. “Only you can prevent forest fires” cautioned Smokey Bear, who first appeared in 1950. Smokey’s message, as well as the development of modern fire-fighting equipment and techniques, shut fire out of most ecosystems.