The 2018 wildfire season is in full swing and firefighters have been busy saving lives and property. But while fighting fires, ground dwelling yellow jackets and wasps are attacking the brave men and women while they're out on the fire line.

“Because the hornets and the wasps were under attack by the fire, the heat, and the smoke they became angry," said West Plains BeeKeepers Association Vice President Margo Buckles.

Their target ultimately became the firefighters themselves, but wasps, hornets and yellow jackets are typically always aggressive. When firefighters are digging a line, they can disrupt the hive making them angry. It can also make honey bees go into a defensive mode.

“Bees only sting once and die. Wasps and hornets can sting multiple times, and they don't die," added Buckles.

But beekeepers like Margo typically use smoke to keep the bees calm, and when that happens, the bees will eat as much honey as they can to calm down. If there's too much smoke, they try to find a new home.

“If there's too much smoke, the bees will eat the honey, and they will actually abscond from the hive which means they will fly away and find a new place for themselves to set up a new hive," said Buckles.