A woman was in critical condition Monday, July 16, after she was stung hundreds of times by bees in Lake Forest, and two firefighters were hospitalized after also getting stung several times while trying to help her. Firefighters found the woman, in her 50s, covered in bees, about 10:30 a.m., Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said. They sprayed the woman with a carbon-dioxide extinguisher after finding her outside a home in the 23000 block of Buckland Lane. Start your day with the news you need from the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our new Morning Report weekday newsletter. “Usually when there’s time, (the firefighters) are able to fully put on their gear,” he said. “But this time they just went in to try to get the bees off of her.” Lake Forest Bee Swarm: Large bee hive within the bushes being removed by bee expert. pic.twitter.com/YanPJojx0S — OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) July 16, 2018 The victim was a housekeeper who had walked out to her vehicle to retrieve some cleaning items when she was stung by bees from a bee hive near the car. The woman was stung up to 200 times, primarily on her arms, neck and face, Bommarito said. Late Monday, the OCFA said in a tweet that according to her son, the woman was doing better and was expected to survive. Two firefighters were taken to a hospital to be treated for bee stings, with one given medication due to an allergic reaction. Both were released later in the day, and returned to work, Bommarito said. Authorities found a large bee hive within bushes that was removed by a beekeeper.<doc-sep>A swarm of bees attacked a woman and two firefighters who came to her aid in Lake Forest on Monday, sending the three of them to the hospital, officials said. The woman was hospitalized in critical condition with more than 200 bee stings, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. Her son later told the captain that she was expected to survive. The incident began about 10:20 a.m. when firefighters were called to the 23000 block of Buckland Lane regarding the bee attack, Bommarito said. They found a housekeeper covered head-to-toe in bees. She had tried to run, but collapsed about 20 or 30 feet from the home. With no time to don their protective gear, firefighters pulled out and discharged a fire extinguisher to get rid of some of the bees, Bommarito said. They then carried the woman about two blocks to get away from the bees. Advertisement Typically, firefighters are supposed to wear gloves and masks, and tape down their sleeves and pant legs when responding to bee attacks. “The guys just didn’t have the time to do it,” Bommarito said, adding that the hive involved in the attack was large enough to support 30,000 bees. The firefighters were treated at a hospital and released later in the day. Hours later, Bommarito said, they returned to work. “They basically saved her life today,” Bommarito said. alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com Twitter: @AleneTchek<doc-sep>LAKE FOREST, Calif. (KABC) -- A woman is in critical condition after being stung hundreds of times by a swarm of bees in Lake Forest Monday morning.The woman is believe to be in her early 50s and works as a housekeeper in the 23000 block of Buckland Lane, where the attack occurred, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Authorities said she was stung about 200 times.She was transported to Saddleback Hospital.Four firefighters and the owner of the home where the possible hive was were also stung. Two of those firefighters, who were stung multiple times, are in stable condition at a hospital.The homeowner, who only went by the name Sara, recalled the attack that sent her housekeeper Maria to the hospital. "She was screaming and I was telling her, 'Move from the bees. Come over here.' But she was covering her head," she said.Witnesses said another house cleaner grabbed a water hose to try to get the bees off Maria, but it didn't work. That's when Sara's son called 911.Another witness said Maria tried covering her head and face, but at one point the bees began stinging her head. Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito said when crews arrived, she was completely covered in bees. "Her face was completely covered with bees," he said. "They grabbed the first thing they could, which was a carbon dioxide extinguisher, sprayed the patient, tried to get as many bees as they could off her. "He added that the firefighters had no time to put on protective gear before trying to save Maria. "It was so horrendous. It was awful. And I felt so powerless. There was nothing I could do," neighbor Cynthia Emmets said.She said her dog ended up being stung as well.A bee company arrived on the scene to determine the location of a hive and discovered 30,000 to 80,000 bees.The beehive was discovered inside a gas meter next to Sara's home, according to Matthew Kielsmeier with Bee Busters, which removed a 10-pound hive from the location. Experts said it wasn't clear what prompted the attack, but that the hive had been at the home for about six months.Sara, who had swollen marks on her forearms from the stings, said she'd noticed bees in the area, but didn't think anything of it at the time.Experts warn that anyone who sees bees congregating for a period of time in a particular area should call a bee company to get it checked out.The community HOA had not received any reports of bee problems in the area until this incident.<doc-sep>
A California woman has been seriously injured after being stung more than 200 times during an attack from a swarm of bees. The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) was called following reports of a bee attack in the Lake Forest area on Monday morning (July 16). When firefighters arrived at the 23000 block of Buckland Lane, they found a woman in her early 50s being attacked by "hundreds of bees," OCFA Captain Tony Bommarito told NBC Los Angeles. "Basically, she was literally covered from head to toe," he said. "Her face was completely covered with bees." It is believed the woman was attacked by a swarm of between 30,000 and 80,000 bees after she parked her car near a hive that was hidden in bushes, according to the Associated Press. The victim, reported to be a housekeeper, was attacked after she went out of the vehicle to retrieve cleaning supplies, reports KTLA. "She probably had a few hundred if not a thousand bees just embedded into her hair and crawling all over her face," Orange County Fire Authority Firefighter Ryan Wilson, told CBS San Francisco. Firefighters responding to the attack did not have enough time to wear the protective gear needed for such incidents and instead grabbed a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher to use on the bees. "She was kind of just struck over with fear, and I kept grabbing her, telling her, 'Let's go,' and she had bees all over her arms," Wilson said. "So we made the decision just to grab her, and take off and get out of the area, because we didn't know where the bees were coming from." Four firefighters were injured as a result, two of them needing hospital treatment. The woman was taken to Saddleback Medical Center in critical condition after being stung more than 200 times. She is expected to make a full recovery. "It was so horrendous. It was awful. And I felt so powerless. There was nothing I could do," neighbor Cynthia Emmets told KABC. A bee company was then called to remove the hive, estimated to have weighed around 10 pounds. Matthew Kielsmeier, from Bee Busters, told KABC it appears the swarm had been at the location for some time. "Both firefighters that were transported to the hospital for multiple bee stings were treated and released," the Orange County Fire Authority said in a statement. "They both chose to return to work immediately. "