Growing up in the city, nowhere near a forest, I felt incredibly guilty when Smokey the Bear told me that I was the only one who could stop forest fires.
What I didn't know about Smokey is that, in addition to giving urban children complexes, he's really protective about the signs he puts up.
So when a Florida man started stealing his signs, Smokey personally rode with law enforcement to arrest the suspect.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson posted the bust on X:
More from Fox 13:
‘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?'
The local sheriff couldn't help but get in on the joke too:
What's not a joke is that those Smokey stand-ups apparently go for $1,900 on Facebook Marketplace. Did you notice that detail?
Crazy!
The unnamed Florida man faces charges of theft of federal property.
Let's hope he never meets Smokey's cousin...
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