After a two month hiatus, a new Smokey Bear stands guard over Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, reminding people of fire safety just in time for spring. Mr. Bear caught the 9:30 a.m. ferry on March 16 and traveled to his assigned post at the intersection of Edgartown-West Tisbury Road and Barnes Road near the Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

“We wanted to make sure Smokey returned home, especially after his winter hibernation,” Josh Nigro, district one forest fire warden from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, told the Gazette by phone Thursday. “We are definitely committed to having Smokey on the Island and letting people know about forest fire safety.”

The previous Smokey Bear went missing in early January of this year. Edgartown Police put out a request for information on their Facebook page, listing their phone number and the state police number for information. The state police reported they received no tips on Mr. Bear’s disappearance.

The quiet return of the 12-foot-tall plywood cut-out of the famed bear was thanks to the Mr. Nigro’s staff and the staff of Nickerson State Park in Brewster. Together, they built a new Mr. Bear for the Island, at a cost of about $1,000. Once returned to his post, Mr. Bear was attached in a new, more secure manner than his bear-napped brother.

The previous Mr. Bear had been secured with a couple bolts, which were undone by the alleged thief or thieves.

This is the third Smokey Bear to make the Island his home. The first one was vandalized in 2009 and carted off-Island broken in half. The newest Mr. Bear is protected from adverse weather with a layer of plastic, a new feature that Mr. Nigro said will prolong his life.

Mr. Bear traces his lineage to 1944, according to Smokey’s official website, and is considered the longest running public service campaign in U.S. history. His name was changed to Smokey the Bear in a popular 1950s song that needed an extra word to match the beat. However, the correct name is Smokey Bear.

On Martha’s Vineyard, the state forest superintendent and DCR forest fire control employees are in charge of Mr. Bear’s welfare, as well as updating the sign that indicates the level of wildfire danger.