Narrative:

I was the PF to lax. At FL350, the fire warning bell sounded and fire warning light illuminated. We had a fire indication in the cargo bay. The captain became the PF and called for the 'cargo bay fire checklist.' about this same time, one of the flight attendants called up to inform us that they smelled smoke within the cabin. We declared an emergency with ATC. From the FMC, I determined that las was the closest real airport to us, about 100 mi north of us. The cargo fire checklist was completed. We proceeded directly to las and requested that emergency equipment be standing by. En route to las, the flight attendant stated that the smell had gone away. The captain decided to make a normal landing and have the equipment follow us to the gate. We performed an uneventful normal landing and taxied to the gate. All 55 of the passenger exited the aircraft through the jetbridge. It was either in training or a read before fly -- they mentioned that if you hear the fire bell 300/500) don't just look down at the center counsel, make sure you look up too. When I heard the bell and looked down and saw nothing, I remembered to look up. I'm very happy that point was made. That enabled us to address the problem right away. In the excitement of reading the checklist, I did all the items and did not read any of the boxed notes on the left side of the page. It was later en route to las that I finally did re-review the checklist and all the boxed notes on the checklist. I found it hard to read the notes with so much excitement going on around us. (In training, they taught us to do the item and read the boxes notes before moving onto the next item.) the crew, ATC, operations did an excellent job. Supplemental information from acn 591802: emergency was declared, cargo bay fire checklist was accomplished, bottle fired, and diverted to las. On descent, the smoke smell went away. Landing was uneventful, expedited to gate. Fire department said there was no fire. The cockpit voice recorder circuit breaker was pulled, but I failed to make a logbook entry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ENRTE B737-300 HAS AN AFT CARGO FIRE SMOKE ALARM. FLT ATTENDANT RPTS SMELL OF SMOKE. FLT DIVERTS TO LAS, NV.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF TO LAX. AT FL350, THE FIRE WARNING BELL SOUNDED AND FIRE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WE HAD A FIRE INDICATION IN THE CARGO BAY. THE CAPT BECAME THE PF AND CALLED FOR THE 'CARGO BAY FIRE CHKLIST.' ABOUT THIS SAME TIME, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED UP TO INFORM US THAT THEY SMELLED SMOKE WITHIN THE CABIN. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. FROM THE FMC, I DETERMINED THAT LAS WAS THE CLOSEST REAL ARPT TO US, ABOUT 100 MI N OF US. THE CARGO FIRE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. WE PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO LAS AND REQUESTED THAT EMER EQUIP BE STANDING BY. ENRTE TO LAS, THE FLT ATTENDANT STATED THAT THE SMELL HAD GONE AWAY. THE CAPT DECIDED TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG AND HAVE THE EQUIP FOLLOW US TO THE GATE. WE PERFORMED AN UNEVENTFUL NORMAL LNDG AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. ALL 55 OF THE PAX EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE JETBRIDGE. IT WAS EITHER IN TRAINING OR A READ BEFORE FLY -- THEY MENTIONED THAT IF YOU HEAR THE FIRE BELL 300/500) DON'T JUST LOOK DOWN AT THE CENTER COUNSEL, MAKE SURE YOU LOOK UP TOO. WHEN I HEARD THE BELL AND LOOKED DOWN AND SAW NOTHING, I REMEMBERED TO LOOK UP. I'M VERY HAPPY THAT POINT WAS MADE. THAT ENABLED US TO ADDRESS THE PROB RIGHT AWAY. IN THE EXCITEMENT OF READING THE CHKLIST, I DID ALL THE ITEMS AND DID NOT READ ANY OF THE BOXED NOTES ON THE L SIDE OF THE PAGE. IT WAS LATER ENRTE TO LAS THAT I FINALLY DID RE-REVIEW THE CHKLIST AND ALL THE BOXED NOTES ON THE CHKLIST. I FOUND IT HARD TO READ THE NOTES WITH SO MUCH EXCITEMENT GOING ON AROUND US. (IN TRAINING, THEY TAUGHT US TO DO THE ITEM AND READ THE BOXES NOTES BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ITEM.) THE CREW, ATC, OPS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 591802: EMER WAS DECLARED, CARGO BAY FIRE CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED, BOTTLE FIRED, AND DIVERTED TO LAS. ON DSCNT, THE SMOKE SMELL WENT AWAY. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, EXPEDITED TO GATE. FIRE DEPT SAID THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED, BUT I FAILED TO MAKE A LOGBOOK ENTRY.

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.