"Exhausting" and Drenched in Sweat: Summer's Hidden Challenge for Firefighters

Thick fire turnout gear is not the only thing that makes summer grueling for firefighters.

Rubberized bee-removal suits, which lack ventilation, also exhaust firefighters amidst the scorching heat.

During the summer, firefighters are dispatched to remove beehives anywhere from a few times to as many as 20 times a day.

On the morning of August 3 at 11:15 AM, as a heatwave warning remained in effect, firefighters wearing protective suits removed a beehive at a pumpkin patch in Wolo-dong, Sangdang-gu, Cheongju.

The temperature was 33.3°C (92°F). Inside the protective suit, sweat poured continuously, blurring their vision, and their breathing quickly grew shallow, bringing on feelings of dizziness.

Fortunately, the first beehive removal was easily wrapped up in five minutes.

The beehive, about the size of an adult's fist, was hanging from a small branch on a slope next to the pumpkin patch. Firefighters quickly wrapped it in a plastic bag and removed it within five minutes.

However, a second beehive on a nearby slope was built around fallen tree branches on the ground, making the job difficult.

After detaching the branches entangled with the hive, the firefighters waited for the bees to enter the hive before wrapping the whole thing in plastic.

The part buried underground was finished off by spraying a specialized insecticide.

After finishing the 20-minute operation and taking off the protective suit, their entire bodies were covered in sweat, leaving even their pants soaking wet.

Min, a firefighter (fire lieutenant) who participated in the operation, wiped away the streaming sweat with a towel and said, "External dispatches are the hardest during the hot summer, and with beehive removals concentrated during this period, it is truly exhausting."

He added, "We put on and take off the protective suits up to 20 times a day, and for underground beehives, we sometimes even have to mobilize shovels and work for over an hour."

Hwang, a firefighter (fire senior master), kept wiping away thick drops of sweat rolling down his neck, saying, "Bee-removal suits are worn by firefighters almost as much as turnout gear, and wearing them just once leaves your whole body completely drenched."

According to the North Chungcheong Fire Headquarters, dispatches for beehive removals surged from 415 in May to 1,524 in June, and 4,957 in July.

Bees are typically most active from July to September, but the fire authorities believe their active period has advanced about a month earlier than usual this year due to abnormal temperatures.

Bee sting accidents are also continuing to occur.

On June 24, a man in his 50s was stung four times by bees at a field in Oksan-myeon, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, and was transported to the hospital in a state of cardiac arrest.

On July 11, a man in his 70s fell into cardiac arrest after being stung by bees in the yard of his home in Angseong-myeon, Chungju.

Bee sting patients in North Chungcheong Province reached a total of 210 over June and July.

Fire authorities urged that because rashly disturbing a beehive can lead to bee stings, people should not provoke them and immediately report to 119.

"Because bee venom is more dangerous than we think, you must be careful," Firefighter Hwang said. "If bees attack, take shelter in a shaded area and crouch down in a low posture."

He added, "To prevent bee sting accidents, you should reduce the use of cosmetics or perfume and avoid wearing brightly colored clothing. If you experience breathing difficulties or fever after being stung by a bee, you should promptly visit a hospital for treatment."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.