What’s all the buzz about?

While all hives have now been removed from the area, the Mid Murray Zone Rural Fire Service said it is likely some escaped during the incident.

“Bees are not very active at night, but the heat of the fire would have got them moving,” district officer Gerard James said.

“Some bee boxes were destroyed or damaged so some bees may have got away, but we don’t expect it was in large numbers.

“It was a medium rigid truck, and the back wheel on the driver’s side caught alight.

“The likely cause was a mechanical fault.

“The local brigade got the fire out quickly, but they did have to block the highway for a short period while the bee boxes were transferred to another truck to be transported.”

The fire was reported about 9.20pm, just as the apiarist was passing the Cobb Highway rest stop and Mathoura Visitor and Business Centre.

It prompted an immediate warning from firefighters to social media, encouraging people to keep a safe distance due to the dispersal of the bees trying to flee the fire and resulting smoke.

Firefighters remained on scene until just after 11pm.

Taking to social media again yesterday, the Mathoura brigade members said the apiarist expressed thanks for the support of firefighters and other community members.

“The apiarist involved with last night’s incident would like to thank the residents that assisted him in providing fire extinguishers and joining up their garden hoses to reach his truck to help suppress the fire until the brigade’s fire trucks arrived,” the brigade said yesterday.

“Your assistance reduced the number of hives that were lost to the flames.

“He also would like to thank the fire fighters that attended and the Glenn family for the emergency use of their telehandler to unload the truck, which sped up the conclusion of the incident.”