Smokey the Bear Helps Nab Man Stealing His Signs — Because Only You Can Prevent Dumb Crime 🐻🚓

Smokey the Bear usually sticks to warning us about forest fires, not busting criminals. But in Florida, the world’s most famous fire-safety bear apparently decided to try his paw at law enforcement.

Authorities say an unidentified man had been driving around state parks swiping Smokey Bear signs — you know, the big wooden ones that say “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires”.

Instead of just hanging them in his garage like a normal questionable collector, he allegedly tried to flip them on Facebook Marketplace for up to $2,000 each. Because nothing screams “steal me” like listing stolen government property online.

Florida’s commissioner of agriculture, Wilton Simpson, says the suspect was caught red-pawed in the act. And get this — Smokey himself was there when they cuffed him. No word on whether the bear read him his rights or just gave him the world’s most disappointed dad stare.

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“Smokey is always around our forest and just got lucky today that he saw the bad guy and got him handcuffed,” Simpson told reporters, before calling the thief “an idiot.” Honestly? Fair.

The man faces possible jail time, but at least he can now brag he was arrested by a bear in a ranger hat. Which, honestly, is the most Florida headline imaginable.