Edgartown police are asking for help in a bear-napping caper. The plywood likeness of Smokey Bear which growls out the fire danger in the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest is missing.

Fire danger high, but no bear in sight.

Courtesy Edgartown Police

Fire danger high, but no bear in sight.

Courtesy Edgartown Police

The fire danger sign, located at the intersection of Edgartown-West Tisbury Road and Barnes Road near the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, warns Islanders when dry weather or other conditions make the danger of fire in the state forest high. An outsized depiction of Smokey usually guards the sign, but now, the wooden support which once held him upright is all that remains.

Edgartown police issued a plea on their Facebook page asking Islanders to help find the bear. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Smokey Bear is asked to call Massachusetts State Police at 508-693-0545 or the Edgartown police at 508-627-4343.

The iconic figure was created in 1944, according to Smokey’s official website, and is considered the longest running public service campaign in U.S. history.

The historical record notes that correct usage of the name is Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear. The latter, incorrect usage, stems from a popular 1950s song which needed an extra word to match the beat.

In 2001, the well-know catch phrase “Remember... only YOU can prevent forest fires,” was changed by replacing the words “forest fires” with “wildfire.”

This is not the Vineyard Smokey's first mishap. In 2009, the 12-foot tall icon was taken off-Island for renovation after being broken in half by an assailant.