Narrative:

At about XA00 flying on V276 at 6000 ft MSL the smoke aft bay light illuminated. This indicates that smoke or fire is in the aft compartment. My first officer pulled out the emergency checklist for smoke or fire aft. He notified the flight attendant to empty 2 fire bottles into the aft bay port. While he was doing that, I notified ATC that we had the problem, declared an emergency and proceeded to acy. I requested that the emergency vehicles meet us on the runway and that we would evacuate/evacuation on the runway. I selected acy because it was as close as jfk, less congestion on the ground. It also provided me with other landing areas along the way if needed. A few mins later, the first officer informed me that the flight attendant had a problem discharging the extinguisher in the bay port. Some of the halon blew back as she tried to use the bottles. He gave her the flight compartment extinguisher to use. She came back later and had used about half of the bottle. She also informed me that no smoke or heat was detected from back wall area. We gave her the brace signal as she prepared the cabin for an emergency landing with evacuate/evacuation on runway. Upon landing runway 22, we stopped the aircraft. The first officer assisted the evacuate/evacuation, I shut down the aircraft and checked plane as I left.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT DIVERTED TO AN ENRTE ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF A FIRE WARNING IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA00 FLYING ON V276 AT 6000 FT MSL THE SMOKE AFT BAY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS INDICATES THAT SMOKE OR FIRE IS IN THE AFT COMPARTMENT. MY FO PULLED OUT THE EMER CHKLIST FOR SMOKE OR FIRE AFT. HE NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO EMPTY 2 FIRE BOTTLES INTO THE AFT BAY PORT. WHILE HE WAS DOING THAT, I NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE HAD THE PROB, DECLARED AN EMER AND PROCEEDED TO ACY. I REQUESTED THAT THE EMER VEHICLES MEET US ON THE RWY AND THAT WE WOULD EVAC ON THE RWY. I SELECTED ACY BECAUSE IT WAS AS CLOSE AS JFK, LESS CONGESTION ON THE GND. IT ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH OTHER LNDG AREAS ALONG THE WAY IF NEEDED. A FEW MINS LATER, THE FO INFORMED ME THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD A PROB DISCHARGING THE EXTINGUISHER IN THE BAY PORT. SOME OF THE HALON BLEW BACK AS SHE TRIED TO USE THE BOTTLES. HE GAVE HER THE FLT COMPARTMENT EXTINGUISHER TO USE. SHE CAME BACK LATER AND HAD USED ABOUT HALF OF THE BOTTLE. SHE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT NO SMOKE OR HEAT WAS DETECTED FROM BACK WALL AREA. WE GAVE HER THE BRACE SIGNAL AS SHE PREPARED THE CABIN FOR AN EMER LNDG WITH EVAC ON RWY. UPON LNDG RWY 22, WE STOPPED THE ACFT. THE FO ASSISTED THE EVAC, I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND CHKED PLANE AS I LEFT.

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.