VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Smokey Bear Historical Park will celebrate its 50th year May 1-2, 2026, in Capitan, New Mexico, birthplace of Smokey the Bear.

The free, two-day festival will also celebrate Smokey the Bear’s birthday with fire prevention and conservation exhibits, a parade, the annual firefighter challenge, food, vendors, game, and family-friendly activities.

Events are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the park, 118 Smokey Bear Blvd., Capitan, about 166 miles from El Paso.

Smokey Bear was the living symbol of fire prevention for more than 25 years. The American black bear was orphaned during the May 1950 Capitan Gap Fire in Capitan. The months-old cub was found and rescued by U.S. Forest Service workers.

The Capitan Gap Fire started May 4, 1950, likely from a carelessly tossed cigarette, and burned for a week. Authorities said 14,000 acres of mostly federal land burned in the fire.

The original reporting of the bear cub’s story referred to him as Hot Foot Teddy as in this May 12, 1950, article: “Hotfoot Teddy,” the almost well-browned brown bear cub, is going to be all right.

HFT, about a month old, was flown here Wednesday in a private plane after Forest Service men found him on a rock slide, all four of his tiny feet badly burned in a forest fire on Capitan Mountain.

Dr. Edwin J. Smith, Santa Fe veterinarian who carefully bandaged HFT’s blistering paws, said the cub will be hospitalized until his seared footpads heal, then turned back to the Forest Service. Eventually, Hotfoot Teddy is expected to be released in some wilderness area.

El Paso Times – Metered Site

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PHOTOS: Santa Fe Drive was closed in Littleton as firefighters with South Metro Fire Rescue extinguished a fuel tanker fire Monday morning.

The fire began around 5:30 a.m. Monday in the 4800 block of South Santa Fe Drive, according to Littleton Police. That’s near South Santa Fe Drive and West Belleview Avenue.

South Metro Fire Rescue said the fire involved a fuel tanker on northbound Santa Fe Drive, just north of Belleview. The fire involved a potential hazmat component and a hazmat team was on scene, according to South Metro Fire.

South Metro Fire Rescue said they were letting the fire burn out, but monitoring to ensure the fire did not reach any structures, including a U-Haul business.

KUSA-TV NBC 9 Denver

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PHOTOS: Five people and their five pets were displaced by a garage fire in Vancouver on Saturday. Crews with the Vancouver Fire Department responded to the scene on SE McGillivray Boulevard shortly before 2 p.m. and found the fire was active in the garage and attic spaces of the home. Firefighters helped evacuate the five adults, four cats, and one dog from the building while preventing the fire from spreading. No injuries were reported.

“In addition to fire suppression efforts, crews assisted residents by removing personal belongings from the home both during and after the incident, helping to preserve valuable and sentimental items,” VFD said. The Red Cross also responded to help the displaced family. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, which remains unknown.

KOIN-TV CBS 6 Portland

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VIDEO: The Kennewick Police Department (KPD), reported a vehicle fire at West Clearwater Avenue and North Kellogg Street on Friday evening. According to KPD, the fire has been extinguished with help from the Kennewick Fire Department. Police reported that two westbound lanes on West Clearwater Avenue were blocked. They also reported all eastbound lanes were blocked starting at North Kellogg Street. Officials asked drivers to avoid the area while fire personnel cleared the scene. The roadway will be reopened after cleanup efforts are finished.Post Content

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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Spokane city officials conducted wildfire evacuation drills Saturday morning in the Eagle Ridge neighborhood to help residents prepare for potential fires. The drill interrupted the quiet morning with emergency alerts as residents practiced evacuation procedures. It was the second drill in a planned series for different neighborhoods. “We are performing the second of a series of wilderness evacuations that we are planning for different neighborhoods,” said Kate Telis, Spokane City Council member. “A lot of these are neighborhoods within the wilderness urban interface, and we are performing a drill to make sure that people have the adequate roads that they need to evacuate in a timely manner.”

Washington state has about 900 wildfires each year, with 70 percent happening in Eastern Washington, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. City officials say wildfires are practically inevitable in the area. Sarah Ness, City of Spokane Director of Emergency Management, explained evacuation priorities. “First things first make sure that people and pets are safe,” Ness said. “Take them with you, take your documents, its just get out of the area, get out safe, you can come back eventually.” Officials are on high alert after a dry winter. Climate change is making the situation worse.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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