Narrative:

After receiving clearance from 10000 ft to 8000 ft, I got a call from the aft cabin flight attendants saying 'we've got a galley fire aft.' after a question about the exact location, I called ZAU requesting expedited handling to ord account of a galley fire. We were transferred to ord approach control at 8000 ft and cleared direct ord. We pushed the speed to 320 KTS and maintained that speed while being cleared lower and for the visual approach to runway 27R at ord. Meanwhile, the flight attendants and I had an open interphone with constant information about their efforts at fire control. They used 1 water extinguisher, then felt for heat, and upon heat still present, then used a halon extinguisher. Smoke diminished/vanished by the 10 mi fix from ord. The landing was normal. While being handled by ord approach control, we were given 'speed at pilot's discretion.' later, at the arrival gate, I realized I had not used the 'east' word - - emergency! Vivid pictures of air carrier at cvg prompted the advanced throttle position and greater than 250 KTS below 10000 ft in the worst case scenario imaginable with the information I had from the aft flight attendants, even with an open communication line. After gate arrival, and a normally deplaned passenger load, maintenance and I went to the rear galley to investigate and interview the 2 flight attendants. No evidence of charred material was found, but also no conclusion about the heat and smoke. (The passenger were not aware of the incident.) upon exiting the flight deck at the gate, I did notice a smoke odor in the cabin -- even with my poor sense of smell. Had the fire been at altitude, I or the first officer would have gone aft to verify/assist, but not during the sterile time at a busy hub.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG HAS GALLEY FIRE, EXPEDITES DSCNT LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM 10000 FT TO 8000 FT, I GOT A CALL FROM THE AFT CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS SAYING 'WE'VE GOT A GALLEY FIRE AFT.' AFTER A QUESTION ABOUT THE EXACT LOCATION, I CALLED ZAU REQUESTING EXPEDITED HANDLING TO ORD ACCOUNT OF A GALLEY FIRE. WE WERE TRANSFERRED TO ORD APCH CTL AT 8000 FT AND CLRED DIRECT ORD. WE PUSHED THE SPD TO 320 KTS AND MAINTAINED THAT SPD WHILE BEING CLRED LOWER AND FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R AT ORD. MEANWHILE, THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND I HAD AN OPEN INTERPHONE WITH CONSTANT INFO ABOUT THEIR EFFORTS AT FIRE CTL. THEY USED 1 WATER EXTINGUISHER, THEN FELT FOR HEAT, AND UPON HEAT STILL PRESENT, THEN USED A HALON EXTINGUISHER. SMOKE DIMINISHED/VANISHED BY THE 10 MI FIX FROM ORD. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. WHILE BEING HANDLED BY ORD APCH CTL, WE WERE GIVEN 'SPD AT PLT'S DISCRETION.' LATER, AT THE ARR GATE, I REALIZED I HAD NOT USED THE 'E' WORD - - EMER! VIVID PICTURES OF ACR AT CVG PROMPTED THE ADVANCED THROTTLE POS AND GREATER THAN 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IMAGINABLE WITH THE INFO I HAD FROM THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS, EVEN WITH AN OPEN COM LINE. AFTER GATE ARR, AND A NORMALLY DEPLANED PAX LOAD, MAINT AND I WENT TO THE REAR GALLEY TO INVESTIGATE AND INTERVIEW THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS. NO EVIDENCE OF CHARRED MATERIAL WAS FOUND, BUT ALSO NO CONCLUSION ABOUT THE HEAT AND SMOKE. (THE PAX WERE NOT AWARE OF THE INCIDENT.) UPON EXITING THE FLT DECK AT THE GATE, I DID NOTICE A SMOKE ODOR IN THE CABIN -- EVEN WITH MY POOR SENSE OF SMELL. HAD THE FIRE BEEN AT ALT, I OR THE FO WOULD HAVE GONE AFT TO VERIFY/ASSIST, BUT NOT DURING THE STERILE TIME AT A BUSY HUB.

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.