Fire Reported in Backyard Bee-Keeping Operation, Firefighters Recover Body of 78-Year-Old Beekeeper

A bizarre mishap unfolded just after 10 a.m. on Wednesday in the small Tarrant County community of White Settlement.

Police and firefighters responded to the 700 block of Vaquero Street where they put out a fire in a backyard beekeeping operation and recovered the body of 78-year-old beekeeper Graham Davis.

Davis' son declined to comment on the loss but provided NBC 5 with a picture of his father, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran.

A neighbor called 911 reporting a fire in the backyard bee hive area, according to police.

It's not yet clear what led up to the fire or the man's death, according to police.

White Settlement Chief of Police Christopher Cook says the victim's son told officers his dad intended to harvest honey.

Police also spoke with residents nearby who said it was not uncommon for Davis to tend to the hives.

Beekeepers use smokers to help keep bee colonies calm during inspections.

"We haven't ruled out the possibility that the man could've been overwhelmed by the bees which could've caused a medical reaction for him to fall or that the man suffered a medical condition which caused him to fall in the beehive area," said Cook.

These are questions the fire marshal and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office will look to answer in the coming days.

The damage was so severe, authorities couldn't immediately say whether Davis was wearing protective clothing at the time of the fire.

The incident also proved to be challenging for first responders.

"The bees were very aggressive, bees swarming police officers and firefighters," said Cook.

Two officers and two firefighters are okay after being stung on the scene, according to WSPD.

Authorities called in beekeepers to help relocate the bees, including the queen.

Chief Cook says the investigation will also look at local regulations on backyard bee-keeping operations which are regulated at the state and local levels.

The neighborhood has grown from a rural area into one with new homes under construction.

It is not immediately clear if the city has regulations pertaining to backyard beekeeping operations.