Beekeeper blamed for sparking massive Australian fire - New York Post

One of the latest wildfires to ravage Australia was accidentally sparked by a careless beekeeper, according to new reports.

The blaze was kicked up in the Pialligo Redwood Forest in Australia’s Capital Territory on Jan. 22 when a beekeeper’s “smoker” — a device used to keep bees calm — ignited the dry brush, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The fire has since shut down the local airport and threatened to engulf homes and businesses in nearby suburbs in the Canberra region.

A government spokesman told the Canberra Times that beekeepers “self-reported that they were involved in the ignition of the fire whilst undertaking bee surveillance activities around Canberra Airport.”

Dermot Asis Sha’Non, president of the Canberra Region Beekeepers, told the ABC that the beekeeper inspecting the hives was trying to finish his work on deadline and before a “total fire ban” went into effect in the region.

“The person inspecting wanted to keep in mind that there was a total fire ban, so worked to avoid that,” Sha’Non said. “But it didn’t work out.”

A plane taxis as Canberra Airport is blanketed with bushfire smoke on Jan. 23 in Canberra, Australia.Getty Images

Instead, fuel used to generate the smoker’s fumes, which allow beekeepers to safety approach the bees for inspection or to collect honey, accidentally ignited brush nearby and sparked the fire, the ABC said.

The bee colony was likely destroyed, the report said.

The hives are maintained by “hobby keepers,” but are part of a national bee pest surveillance program that serves as an early warning system throughout Australia to detect the exotic species that could threaten other bees.

It is run by Plant Health Australia, a national plant biosecurity coordinator.

The fire is just one of many infernos that have burned through huge swaths of Australia for months, scorching 21 million acres, killing at least 28 people and wiping out millions of animals.

Fire crews work to contain a fire near at the industrial suburb of Beard and residential suburb of Oaks Estate on Jan. 23 in Canberra.Getty Images

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVGh0dHBzOi8vbnlwb3N0LmNvbS8yMDIwLzAyLzA0L2JlZWtlZXBlci1ibGFtZWQtZm9yLXNwYXJraW5nLW1hc3NpdmUtYXVzdHJhbGlhbi1maXJlL9IBWGh0dHBzOi8vbnlwb3N0LmNvbS8yMDIwLzAyLzA0L2JlZWtlZXBlci1ibGFtZWQtZm9yLXNwYXJraW5nLW1hc3NpdmUtYXVzdHJhbGlhbi1maXJlL2FtcC8?oc=5

2020-02-04 22:47:00Z
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