A local bar had a 5 gallon plastic pail outside the door. It had about 3 inches of sand in the bottom. Put there to snuff out butts. No one ever emptied it. One night it was right to the top with butts, when it started on fire. So I tell the bartender, and she hands me a pitcher full of ice. I said I need water not ice. She said "the ice will cool down the fire". I was not gonna argue, I ran out back tossed the ice on it, and told another guy to get some water. A pitcher of ice and another one of water killed the flames, but it still smoldered. Then another bartender got a whole mop pail full of water and killed the fire. The pail was melted, and it charred some paint on the wood door frame, but it could have been much worse.
I later told that bartender (a young woman), that water is better than ice for a fire. While some drunk guy insisted whisky would be better yet..... I just laughed, and said "you'd drink it before you got to the flames"!