Fire crews and police officers were called to a residential neighborhood to help with the closure of roads after at least two people were injured. The culprit, officials said, was a massive swarm of bees.
It started around 4:15 p.m. on the 17100 block of Adlon Road in Encino, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The Fire Department was the first to respond to the area following a report of a bee sting.
When they arrived, crews discovered a massive swarm of bees, which led to the need for roads in the area to be shut down. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to assist with the closures.
Thousands of bees were seen in the area and residents were urged to stay inside and wait for the arrival of animal control personnel.
Video from Sky5 showed a volunteer LAPD officer being attacked by the swarm, before falling to the ground and hitting his head. He was taken to the hospital where he is now listed in stable condition, LAPD said.
Professional bee vendors told KTLA that the swarm in Encino is an unusual sight. Saying that, usually, if you leave bees alone, they will leave you alone. But something must’ve happened to awaken this particular hive.
“They’re just attacking everybody and they’re actively stinging,” Brooks Putman with All Valley Honey & Bee said. “I myself have been stung today.”
Putman thinks this hive started in an attic or wall space and has been growing for some time.
“This is such an active hive, they’re so aggressive. There are so many of the bees that they look like they have a fairly well established hive,” he said.
The condition of the person who was originally stung is unclear, but they were transported to the hospital.
The bee vendor said animal control workers were spraying pesticide, which releases a smell that deters the bees from returning, though residents in the Encino were still being told to remain inside.
Bee and wasp stings can cause major health complications and even death for those who are allergic or have other medical conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of 62 people die from bee and wasp stings in America each year.