Narrative:

A passenger stopped the #4 flight attendant in the aisle to bring to his attention a flickering light overhead row 12 overhead bin. Flight attendant then ran forward and stated he was unsure what he was seeing and urgently wanted us to investigate. The purser and flight attendant #4 opened a bin and proceeded to investigate. Upon seeing flames flight attendant requested halon and stated we were on fire. Following procedures and being the first flight attendant forward I got on the phone with the captain and reported the situation as the other flight attendants gathered halons and pbe; then put the fire out. It is and has not been made known to me what caught fire; but it was above the overheads; not in them. I would like to know specifically but have not been told. The fire was put out and I continued to report to cockpit; made a PA to calm the passenger and an emergency landing was made in ZZZ. No smoke was observed during event; fumes were smelled while I was reporting the problem and outcome to cockpit. The crew performed with great swiftness and accuracy. Some passenger in the rear of the aircraft and a flight attendant in rear galley were unaware there was a fire until I made the announcements to the passenger. The movie was already on and the cabin was dark which assisted in detection of the flame; and inhibited panic due to the diversion of their attention while watching the movies. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter has not gotten any feedback from her air carrier even though she has asked several times. This event was the first she has seen in this aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS FLAMES ORIGINATING IN THE ROW 12 OVERHEAD BIN. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH HALON. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RTN TO LAND.

Narrative: A PAX STOPPED THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT IN THE AISLE TO BRING TO HIS ATTN A FLICKERING LIGHT OVERHEAD ROW 12 OVERHEAD BIN. FLT ATTENDANT THEN RAN FORWARD AND STATED HE WAS UNSURE WHAT HE WAS SEEING AND URGENTLY WANTED US TO INVESTIGATE. THE PURSER AND FLT ATTENDANT #4 OPENED A BIN AND PROCEEDED TO INVESTIGATE. UPON SEEING FLAMES FLT ATTENDANT REQUESTED HALON AND STATED WE WERE ON FIRE. FOLLOWING PROCS AND BEING THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT FORWARD I GOT ON THE PHONE WITH THE CAPT AND RPTED THE SITUATION AS THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS GATHERED HALONS AND PBE; THEN PUT THE FIRE OUT. IT IS AND HAS NOT BEEN MADE KNOWN TO ME WHAT CAUGHT FIRE; BUT IT WAS ABOVE THE OVERHEADS; NOT IN THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY BUT HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT AND I CONTINUED TO RPT TO COCKPIT; MADE A PA TO CALM THE PAX AND AN EMER LNDG WAS MADE IN ZZZ. NO SMOKE WAS OBSERVED DURING EVENT; FUMES WERE SMELLED WHILE I WAS RPTING THE PROB AND OUTCOME TO COCKPIT. THE CREW PERFORMED WITH GREAT SWIFTNESS AND ACCURACY. SOME PAX IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND A FLT ATTENDANT IN REAR GALLEY WERE UNAWARE THERE WAS A FIRE UNTIL I MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PAX. THE MOVIE WAS ALREADY ON AND THE CABIN WAS DARK WHICH ASSISTED IN DETECTION OF THE FLAME; AND INHIBITED PANIC DUE TO THE DIVERSION OF THEIR ATTN WHILE WATCHING THE MOVIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY FEEDBACK FROM HER ACR EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS ASKED SEVERAL TIMES. THIS EVENT WAS THE FIRST SHE HAS SEEN IN THIS ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.