Narrative:

We were at the gate with engines shutdown at gso (after an uneventful flight from clt-gso). About 2 min after block in ground baggage handlers reported aft cargo compartment fire. Most of the passengers had already deplaned; there was no evidence of smoke of fire in the cabin at that time. The remaining few passengers were told to deplane immediately (PA announcement), which they did. No injuries incurred and no 'evacuation' had to be performed. Ground personnel extinguished the fire in less than 60 seconds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The first officer revealed not much more information. The first officer is also a chemist and he felt that there had not been any evidence of a very volatile source of conflagration, more likely a lit cigarette or a book of matches that might have been in a passenger bag. The interior of the aircraft was not harmed as far as he knew. The NTSB and the FAA had investigated this incident but have not let the flight crew in on any information they might have found. The captain was not contacted as the first officer had just talked with him and he had nothing of further information to add to this. There was no fire detection system in the rear cargo of the medium large transport and had a very limited amount of air flow which most likely reduced the oxy available to any source of fire.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CGP HANDLING CARGO REPORT A SMOLDERING TYPE FIRE IN SOME BAGGAGE IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT AFTER ARR AT GATE. CAB ALERTS FLT DECK CREW.

Narrative: WE WERE AT THE GATE WITH ENGS SHUTDOWN AT GSO (AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM CLT-GSO). ABOUT 2 MIN AFTER BLOCK IN GND BAGGAGE HANDLERS RPTED AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT FIRE. MOST OF THE PAXS HAD ALREADY DEPLANED; THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OF FIRE IN THE CABIN AT THAT TIME. THE REMAINING FEW PAXS WERE TOLD TO DEPLANE IMMEDIATELY (PA ANNOUNCEMENT), WHICH THEY DID. NO INJURIES INCURRED AND NO 'EVACUATION' HAD TO BE PERFORMED. GND PERSONNEL EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE IN LESS THAN 60 SECS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE F/O REVEALED NOT MUCH MORE INFO. THE F/O IS ALSO A CHEMIST AND HE FELT THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF A VERY VOLATILE SOURCE OF CONFLAGRATION, MORE LIKELY A LIT CIGARETTE OR A BOOK OF MATCHES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN A PAX BAG. THE INTERIOR OF THE ACFT WAS NOT HARMED AS FAR AS HE KNEW. THE NTSB AND THE FAA HAD INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT BUT HAVE NOT LET THE FLT CREW IN ON ANY INFO THEY MIGHT HAVE FOUND. THE CAPT WAS NOT CONTACTED AS THE F/O HAD JUST TALKED WITH HIM AND HE HAD NOTHING OF FURTHER INFO TO ADD TO THIS. THERE WAS NO FIRE DETECTION SYS IN THE REAR CARGO OF THE MLG AND HAD A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF AIR FLOW WHICH MOST LIKELY REDUCED THE OXY AVAILABLE TO ANY SOURCE OF FIRE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.