Firefighter and toddler stung in Gilbert bee attack

Thousands of bees attacked an Arizona neighborhood, sending a toddler and a firefighter to the hospital.

A massive bee swarm descended upon a neighborhood in Phoenix, causing four people to be hospitalized after they were stung.

KPHO.com A KPHO-TV helicopter hovered firefighters dousing a Gilbert, Ariz., home with white foam to kill bees swarming throughout the street.

Officials say firefighters in Gilbert were called to a home near Higley and Pecos roads where thousands of aggressive bees were swarming the area. That includes a 2-year-old boy and a firefighter, who were each stung upwards of 100 times.

The victims, ages 3, 14, and 23, were hospitalized in addition to the firefighter.

“Our crews were told that a couple of kids had been stung but there were so many bees they couldn’t get inside the home”, he said. It wasn’t a hive, they were swarming.

A barricade of bees blocked firefighters and paramedics from entering the front door so emergency crews scaled a wall behind the home.

The bees were so aggressive that firefighters in bee suits couldn’t get to some of the victims.

All five residents were stung, and three of them – a 3-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and a 22-year-old woman – were hospitalized, according to the New York Daily News. He too was hospitalized for his injuries.

Authorities are not sure why the bees suddenly became belligerent. One of the children, identified through his first name, Isaac, a two year old boy, received approximately one hundred bee stings.

In Arizona, many local beehives are located near residential areas, which is why the fire department is advising people not to disturb the bees.

“If you find a hive, leave it alone”, Connor said.