Iola firefighters were abuzz with activity — literally — as they fought a fire at Hawley Honey, 220 N. Elm St., Thursday.
The fire, reported shortly after 3 p.m., damaged a window, a drill press and three boxes containing bee hives.
Damage was estimated at about $10,000, Deputy Fire Chief Tim Thyer said.
Employees at the scene used a garden hose and fire extinguisher to knock down most of the flames as firefighters arrived, Thyer said.
“It’s good they acted quickly, particularly with a building this old with that much burnable materials inside,” Thyer said.
The fire began just outside the building on a rear dock, Thyer said. The brick exterior wasn’t damaged, but a wooden window frame quickly ignited, as did a coating of sawdust on the floor.
Firefighters at the scene had to contend with curious honeybees that had been rousted from their hives, “although the smoke seemed to do a nice job of calming them down,” Thyer said. “I probably had four or five land on me at any time. You could hear them buzzing.”
The cause of the fire has not been determined, Thyer added.
Honey plant damaged in fire
