I went outside to grab more wood. It was a little past midnight and so dark I couldn't see at all without my phone's flashlight. The third one from the pile buzzed very loudly in my hand. After the split second it took for me to realize I'm waving half a wasp nest on a stick while naked, I dropped everything and ran. I later investigated the other half of the hive still stuck on the wall; it was about 15 cm in diameter.
Similarly, but less luckily, I kayaked over to a state installed bird nest to check it out. Bumping it with my kayak unleashed a hell storm of hornets. Unlike you, I could not run, and I can't paddle that fast.