ORLANDO, Fla. — Perhaps Smokey the Bear can add a new slogan to his repertoire: Only HE can help prevent forest sign thefts.

That is a bit of a stretch. But this is, um, fur real: a person dressed in the iconic bear’s costume did help Florida authorities arrest a man accused of stealing Smokey the Bear signs from state forests.

The signs are used to promote wildfire prevention. Smokey the Bear’s iconic warning to park visitors notes that “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.”

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson tweeted about the arrest of the man in Orange County, adding that the suspect would swipe the signs and then sell them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 apiece.

“What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear?” Simpson tweeted.

Florida officials have issued only bare facts about the incident. They did not release the man’s name. Simpson did say, however, that the suspect stole the signs from state parks in Pensacola, Panama City and Orlando.

“Smokey is always around our forest and just got lucky today that he saw the bad guy and got him handcuffed,” Simpson said. “What an idiot, what an idiot.

“(Smokey) goes to schools, he’s known by our children, he’s known by our families, he is known throughout the United States. Who goes and steals an image of Smokey the Bear and then tries to profit off of that?”

Florida’s Department of Agriculture did 277,000 acres of controlled burns in 2024 and spent $93 million on upgraded equipment. Simpson said he was glad to have Smokey on hand to show the suspect the door to a deputy’s vehicle.

“Big thank you to @smokey_bear for personally assisting in the arrest," Simpson tweeted.

Criminal charges are pending, but Simpson said the man could face jail time.

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