Narrative:

I was flying en route from dfw to rdu when the cockpit was notified by the flight attendant in the rear galley that we had fire in one of the ovens. I immediately leveled off at FL180 and notified center of the problem, declared an emergency, and asked for an immediate turn towards dfw. I then called the first officer for the emergency checklist, which was completed. By the time I had turned the aircraft back towards dfw and descended to 15000 ft the flight attendant talking with my first officer on the interphone advised that the fire was extinguished. I asked to hold at my present position and told fort worth center that the fire was out and we would determine the extent of the problem. I asked my first officer to step to the rear of the aircraft to confirm that the fire was out and that no damage had been done to the aircraft. Upon confirmation that the fire was out and the oven in which fire had taken place was turned off and would remain so, we determined that the aircraft could safely continue to our destination. The source of the fire was a label placed on the side of a meal container by catering. The person boarding the meals is supposed to remove these identifying labels. In this case the label was overlooked, and when the meals were turned on the label ignited. The quick and proper response by all dallas based flight attendants on this flight was commendable. My first officer did an excellent job as well in assisting from the cockpit. Action taken by all crew members was indicative of the excellent emergency training given by company. The interphone system is the weak link in communication between the cabin and cockpit. (Having flown the large transport/widebody transport for 3 yrs the interphone system is not much better than our older mlgs.) the flight attendant and first officer had difficulty understanding each other. An improved interphone system would be helpful in a time of need!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC NOTIFIED FIRE IN GALLEY OVEN. DECLARE EMER.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ENRTE FROM DFW TO RDU WHEN THE COCKPIT WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE REAR GALLEY THAT WE HAD FIRE IN ONE OF THE OVENS. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AT FL180 AND NOTIFIED CENTER OF THE PROBLEM, DECLARED AN EMER, AND ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TURN TOWARDS DFW. I THEN CALLED THE FO FOR THE EMER CHKLIST, WHICH WAS COMPLETED. BY THE TIME I HAD TURNED THE ACFT BACK TOWARDS DFW AND DSNDED TO 15000 FT THE FLT ATTENDANT TALKING WITH MY FO ON THE INTERPHONE ADVISED THAT THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. I ASKED TO HOLD AT MY PRESENT POS AND TOLD FORT WORTH CENTER THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT AND WE WOULD DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. I ASKED MY FO TO STEP TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT TO CONFIRM THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT AND THAT NO DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE TO THE ACFT. UPON CONFIRMATION THAT THE FIRE WAS OUT AND THE OVEN IN WHICH FIRE HAD TAKEN PLACE WAS TURNED OFF AND WOULD REMAIN SO, WE DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT COULD SAFELY CONTINUE TO OUR DEST. THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS A LABEL PLACED ON THE SIDE OF A MEAL CONTAINER BY CATERING. THE PERSON BOARDING THE MEALS IS SUPPOSED TO REMOVE THESE IDENTIFYING LABELS. IN THIS CASE THE LABEL WAS OVERLOOKED, AND WHEN THE MEALS WERE TURNED ON THE LABEL IGNITED. THE QUICK AND PROPER RESPONSE BY ALL DALLAS BASED FLT ATTENDANTS ON THIS FLT WAS COMMENDABLE. MY FO DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AS WELL IN ASSISTING FROM THE COCKPIT. ACTION TAKEN BY ALL CREW MEMBERS WAS INDICATIVE OF THE EXCELLENT EMER TRAINING GIVEN BY COMPANY. THE INTERPHONE SYS IS THE WEAK LINK IN COM BTWN THE CABIN AND COCKPIT. (HAVING FLOWN THE LGT/WDB FOR 3 YRS THE INTERPHONE SYS IS NOT MUCH BETTER THAN OUR OLDER MLGS.) THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FO HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER. AN IMPROVED INTERPHONE SYS WOULD BE HELPFUL IN A TIME OF NEED!

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.