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Roughly 14 million bees were accidentally released into the air when a truck carrying thousands of pounds of active hives overturned in northern Washington.

Getting into it: According to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, a commercial truck carrying approximately 70,000 pounds of active honeybee hives overturned early Friday morning on Weidkamp Road near Lynden, Washington—just south of the Canadian border. The crash occurred around 4 a.m., and by 9 a.m., hive boxes had come loose, releasing what was initially estimated to be 250 million bees into the surrounding rural area. That number was later corrected to 14 million based on beekeeper estimates.

Authorities immediately sealed off the area and issued a warning for the public to “AVOID THE AREA due to the potential of bee escape and swarming.”

In response to the emergency, more than two dozen local and regional beekeepers rushed to the site to assist with the recovery operation. The goal was to safely re-hive the bees and help them reconnect with their queens, a process officials said could take 24 to 48 hours. Footage released by officials showed swarms surrounding the overturned vehicle, while several emergency responders were stung during the initial containment efforts.

By Friday evening, authorities announced that significant progress had been made. “At this time, on-scene work is done. Hive boxes from the overturned truck were recovered, restored, and returned to use,” the sheriff’s office said in an update. They added that “by morning, most bees should have returned to their hives, and those responsible for their delivery will be in charge.”