Smokey Bear Saw His Shadow And Predicted Six More Weeks Of High Fire Danger

February 4, 2026

Smoky Bear saw his shadow on Monday, Groundhog Day, and predicted six more weeks of high fire danger.

Dry weather, low humidity, and wind  lead to higher fire danger this time of year, according to the Florida Forest Service.

Smokey Bear turned 81 last August, marking the date when the U.S. Forest Service first authorized the character to promote wildfire prevention.

Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT FEATURE 

  FNBT