Why Smokey the Bear 'Assisted' In Arrest of Florida Man

Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is going viral after sharing photos from a recent Orange County arrest -- photos which show a man getting taken into custody with the help of another man dressed in a giant bear suit.

"What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear?" said Simpson in his post. "Our Ag Law Team has a suspect in custody who traveled from Pensacola to Orlando stealing Smokey Bear signs from our state forests and selling them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each."

"Big thank you to Smokey Bear for personally assisting in the arrest," added Simpson. FYI: While he's colloquially known as "Smokey The Bear," the USDA Forest Service officially recognizes him as "Smokey Bear."

The suspect's name hasn't been released publicly, though Simpson said criminal charges are pending and he could face jail time, per FOX 13.

"Smokey is always around our forest and just got lucky today that he saw the bad guy and got him handcuffed," Simpson told the ourlet. "What an idiot, what an idiot. Who goes and steals an image of Smokey the Bear and then tries to profit off of that?"

"We're the most pro-law enforcement state in the union," he continued, adding, "Smokey Bear is on the job also."

"If you're going to go in and commit crimes in our forests, you probably need to find a different place," Simpson concluded. "Not only will you find smoke in some of those forests, but you'll find our car officers."

Per Smokey Bear's official website, his wildfire prevention campaign was created in 1944 and is considered "the longest-running public service advertising campaign in U.S. history."

His slogan began as, "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires," before it was changed in 1947 to, "Remember... Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires." In 2001, it was again changed to, "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires," his current motto.