WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. --
Firefighters had an added challenge while battling a blaze at a vacant West Palm Beach home Wednesday -- they also had to fend off thousands of Africanized killer bees.
Shortly after 11 a.m., the vacant home on Seventh Street erupted in smoke, but it was no ordinary fire.
When firefighters chopped down the front door, thousands of Africanized bees poured out of the still-smoldering house.
"Because the house was vacant and no one paid attention, these bees can form a colony and grow in numbers quickly," said West Palm Beach fire-rescue Chief Phil Webb.
No one was stung, but the fire chief said the bees can pose a serious threat.
"A firefighter or a bystander could literally suffer hundreds, maybe even thousands of stings if they're attacked," Webb said.
Nobody was inside at the time of the fire, and neighbors said the house had been boarded up for years.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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