Anyone paying attention to the rash of forest fires this year will tell you that they seem to be up. Statistics show forest fire were up 68% last year and 73% this year alone. Investigators knowing the numbers don’t lie, a jump that high could only be one thing! These were no accidental, they are the work an arsonist.
Two Fire marshals went undercover in the forest posing as hikers and what they found stunned the fire community. First they began to discover Meth labs all over the forest, some big and some small but they were everywhere. Then they caught long distance views of the alleged suspect. Too far away to fully recognize him, the suspect appeared to be a farmer in overalls and a game warden hat.It took them about a week, but sadly they caught their man. “only you can prevent forest fires, only you”. A Fire services spokesman for decades “Smokey the bear” was placed under arrest.
Once brought back to the rangers station for a interrogation, the beloved fire services friend spilled his guts.
The commercial business became slow, during his prime of being on TV there were girl bears and drug fueled party’s. Smokey became hooked on crystal meth. His message to help prevent fires seem to work too well. Fires were down 90% in the 1990’s. By the early 2000’s he was replaced with a GGI bear.
Out of a job he could no longer afford the meth. So he began to produce his own, but the chemicals needed also cost a lot.
About three years ago, he began to think if forest fires picked up then maybe he would be asked to go back on TV and that could bring in money for his homemade meth labs. He admitted his addition became so bad he once offered oral sex to a raccoon for money, the raccoon refused.
In all 17 Meth labs were found around the forest.
Smokey’s lawyer is trying to work on a deal to have him put on TV to send a message about “what drugs do to you”, in hopes of a reduced prison sentence. We will have to wait and see at his next hearing on February 16th. Until then Smokey the bear has been stripped of his honorary Fire fighting Title and has been placed in a rehab facility.
We wish him the best.