On Aug. 20, 2024, Shawnee National Forest employee Austin Davidson died after being stung by bees. Working in a lowland management area, Davidson and a coworker were clearing brush using weed trimmers. Davidson came upon a concealed ground nest, the bees were disturbed, and an attack response was provoked. The bees stung multiple times, delivering a large amount of bee venom that led to an unrecognized medical emergency that resulted in death roughly five hours after the incident.  

The learning review for this accident, which captures the perspectives and experiences of persons who responded to or witnessed the event, has now been published on the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center website.  

The Forest Service will use the information gathered to learn how the agency can reduce the possibility of similar events in the future.