A team of firefighters came to the rescue of some overheated bees when the truck hauling the hives broke down in Iowa on Wednesday afternoon. 

The incident occurred on May 11th on Highway 218 exit ramp to C-57 near Janesville, Iowa. 

According to the Waverly Newspaper, the trucker hauling beehives contacted 911 after his truck broke down during an unseasonably high heat index of around 100 degrees. The high temperatures began overheating the bees, which began flying out of their hives in search of cooler weather, so the driver sought immediate assistance lest his load fly away. 

A team of firefighters responded to the call and doused the bee hives with water to cool them, prompting the bees to return to their hives. Around 3,500 gallons of water were used while the truck received roadside repairs. 

“That’s the most bizarre call we’ve ever received,” Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Bloes told Waverly Newspapers. “I’ve been the assistant fire chief for three and a half years, and over the years, I’ve been on some strange calls but I’ve never had to cool down bees.”