The village of Capitan, New Mexico has a story unique to the world. It is the birthplace and burial site of the world's most well-known bear. Smokey's story is factual although it might appear to be fictitious. It is believed that on May 4, 1950, a carelessly discarded cigarette butt started the Los Tablos blaze in the Lincoln National Forest . On May 6, a second fire, known as the Capitan Gap fire, which was also man-caused, started in the same general area. Together these fires destroyed 17,000 acres of forest and grasslands. The monetary loss to private properties was great, but the loss to the wildlife and environment was even greater.