A bear gave firefighters in Colorado a strange start to their day after it wandered into a fire station and stole a bag of gear.
Security cameras at Colorado Springs Fire Department’s Station 16 captured the bear wandering into the station’s garage on 25 August 2026, grabbing a bag of firefighting equipment in its mouth, and calmly walking off with it.
The fire department shared the funny footage online, joking that the bear – which they nicknamed Smokey – had helped himself without asking. “Smokey the Bear walked into the bay at Station 16, grabbed our gear bag, peaced out real quick, and said ‘thanks, I’ll take it from here,'” the department wrote.
It isn’t clear whether firefighters ever got their gear bag back.
Along with the video, the fire department used the moment to remind people how to stay safe around bears. They suggested taking down bird feeders, keeping pets inside, and making sure food and rubbish are locked away safely.
At this time of year, bears are eating as much as they can to build up fat before winter, which means they will often go looking for an easy feed.
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