Listen, we’ve seen our fair share of strange stories out of Florida, but this one? Well, this one is extra unique.
@WiltonSimpson on X
You’ve likely seen those Florida man stories every now and then, and the headlines are usually so wild you have no idea what to expect. In this cast, a Florida man has been stealing a strange item from many national parks, and who helped to catch him? None other than Smokey the Bear.
It’s true! Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, Wilton Simpson, took to social media to share an interesting story we never saw coming. The Agriculture Law Team now has a suspect in custody who’s been traveling from Pensacola to Orlando stealing something very particular from state forests…Smokey the Bear signs.
@WiltonSimpson on X
Not only has he been stealing them, but he’s turned around and sold them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each! This is, obviously, very illegal, as it’s stealing property that isn’t yours, and when police arrested him, they were joined by none other than Smokey The Bear himself.
What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear?
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
— Wilton Simpson (@WiltonSimpson) July 30, 2025
Now THAT’S irony. If you’re not familiar with Smokey the Bear, he’s an American campaign and advertising icon of the U.S. Forest Service in the Wildfire Prevention Campaign. Why would someone steal him? Other than people really wanting to be able to own one of his cutouts in the parks, or having something that’s off limits, we don’t totally know.
Smokey the Bear at Wilderness Lodge
You can even find some Smokey the Bear merchandise at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge! There are plushes, shirts, other apparel, and so much more, so if you’re looking to have some Smokey the Bear representation in your house that’s not illegal to have, just head to Wilderness Lodge, or check online retailers. Any Smokey the Bear merchandise is not worth being arrested for!
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I want to know if they went after the creeps that bought the stolen signs. They need to be punished also.