The Sherwin-Williams Paint Warehouse was built directly upon an aquifer from which Dayton's public water supply was drawn. Fearing contamination from the runoff, Fire Chief Glenn Alexander ordered that no water be used to extinguish the fire, which burned for six days. The drinking water suffered no ill effects as a result of the fire.
Six months prior to the fire in Dayton, a Sandoz plant in Basel, Switzerland attracted worldwide attention after run off from the fire washed into the Rhine River and killed several species of fish. Although the river was restocked with fish, it took years before ecological equilibrium was restored.
In both cases, fire officials knew that the plants on fire could not be saved.
