The cover sheet of the daily “Incident Action Plan” for firefighters battling the Station fire still burning in Los Angeles contains an odd warning: “No energy drinks.” Officials say the high amounts of caffeine these beverages contain can be particularly dangerous under these working conditions. Snip from LA Times article:
“It’s been a concern,” said Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service. “When they drink those things, it dehydrates them.”
Judy said that during a previous fire some years back, a firefighter consumed four cans of Red Bull in one day and went into diabetic shock. Since then, fire officials have warned crews to re-energize in other ways, he said.
“Drink water, drink water, drink water,” Judy said. He also said that the meals served to firefighters each day are high in calories because firefighters are “going through calories like crazy on the line.”
In related news — the Station fire has been determined to have been caused by arson. Two firefighters died fighting the Los Anglees blazes, so the arson investigation will also a be homicide investigation.