Caffeine can be dangerous! This is the alert being issued to US west coast firefighters about the consumption of energy drinks. The Los Angeles Times reports that on the cover of the daily Incident Action Plan for the Station wildfire north of Los Angeles (California), there was an unusual warning - "No energy drinks."

Despite firefighters expending massive amounts of energy during an emergency, fire officials told the newspaper that high levels of caffeine in many energy drinks can be dangerous. Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service says, "when they drink those things, it dehydrates them."

During a fire some years ago, 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.  "Drink water," is the advice from the Forest Service.

Posters bearing an outline of a slim, energy drink can with a big red strike through it were put up at the Station firefighter base camp.

The newspaper quoted Paul Yoffee, a spokesman for Red Bull, saying there are no medical findings that connect someone drinking four cans of Red Bull and going into diabetic shock.