ORLANDO, Fla. — A man accused of stealing Smokey the Bear signs from Florida forests was arrested.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson posted photos of the unnamed suspect on X Wednesday with the caption, “What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear?”
One of the photos show Smokey holding the door for an officer as he puts the handcuffed accused sign-stealer in the back of a police cruiser.
The suspect traveled from Pensacola to Orlando, taking the iconic signs and listing them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each, according to the commissioner’s social media post.
The signs are used to promote wildfire prevention.
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What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear?
— Wilton Simpson (@WiltonSimpson) July 30, 2025
Our Ag Law Team has a suspect in custody who traveled from Pensacola to Orlando stealing Smoky Bear signs from our state forests and selling them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each. Big thank you to @smokey_bear for… pic.twitter.com/swA1c3WPpG
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