Narrative:

Everything was normal as we climbed out to 10000 ft. ATC issued climb to 17000 ft. Upon initiation of climb at approximately 10500 ft master caution light illuminated; noticed that that loop light was on. First officer; who was flying at the time; looked up and noticed both loop lights on for left engine. Shortly thereafter we got a fire indication in left engine. I told the first officer to level off. Silenced the bell and started fire/separation/severe damage checklist. As aircraft leveled off fire light went out along with loop lights. I completed the checklist down to the point of; 'at captain's discretion use engine at idle' as the light had now gone out. Notified ATC of the problem and asked to return to ZZZ. Told them that we had a fire indication in left engine. First officer was now using the radios as I had to finish checklists; notify flight attendants and talk to people. Usual stuff from ATC; souls onboard; fuel; are we declaring an emergency; etc. When asked; I informed first officer to ask for the arf to roll. Flight attendants were notified. They were already aware of the situation as the #1 had heard the bell go off. As we were on the downwind to base leg flight attendant from rear of aircraft chimed saying there was a fuel smell from the left engine. It was at this point I decided to shut down left engine as I did not want to pump fuel onto a possible engine fire. Completed precautionary engine shutdown checklist; reviewed single engine landing procedure. As I was extremely busy doing checklists on base to final I did not have time to check engine parameters on the wind-milling engine. We were definitely no more than 5 mins on 1 engine. Probably closer to 3 mins. Arf followed us off the runway. Stopped on high speed exit; they checked for fire; none noted. Fire chief gave us the all clear so I taxied back to a gate as they followed for safety. Upon arrival at gate passenger were deplaned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED FIRE WARNING LOOPS PRECEDE ENGINE FIRE INDICATION ON MD80. FLT RETURNS TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AS WE CLBED OUT TO 10000 FT. ATC ISSUED CLB TO 17000 FT. UPON INITIATION OF CLB AT APPROX 10500 FT MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED; NOTICED THAT THAT LOOP LIGHT WAS ON. FO; WHO WAS FLYING AT THE TIME; LOOKED UP AND NOTICED BOTH LOOP LIGHTS ON FOR L ENG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE GOT A FIRE INDICATION IN L ENG. I TOLD THE FO TO LEVEL OFF. SILENCED THE BELL AND STARTED FIRE/SEPARATION/SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST. AS ACFT LEVELED OFF FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT ALONG WITH LOOP LIGHTS. I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST DOWN TO THE POINT OF; 'AT CAPT'S DISCRETION USE ENG AT IDLE' AS THE LIGHT HAD NOW GONE OUT. NOTIFIED ATC OF THE PROB AND ASKED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD A FIRE INDICATION IN L ENG. FO WAS NOW USING THE RADIOS AS I HAD TO FINISH CHKLISTS; NOTIFY FLT ATTENDANTS AND TALK TO PEOPLE. USUAL STUFF FROM ATC; SOULS ONBOARD; FUEL; ARE WE DECLARING AN EMER; ETC. WHEN ASKED; I INFORMED FO TO ASK FOR THE ARF TO ROLL. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED. THEY WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AS THE #1 HAD HEARD THE BELL GO OFF. AS WE WERE ON THE DOWNWIND TO BASE LEG FLT ATTENDANT FROM REAR OF ACFT CHIMED SAYING THERE WAS A FUEL SMELL FROM THE L ENG. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN L ENG AS I DID NOT WANT TO PUMP FUEL ONTO A POSSIBLE ENG FIRE. COMPLETED PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST; REVIEWED SINGLE ENG LNDG PROC. AS I WAS EXTREMELY BUSY DOING CHKLISTS ON BASE TO FINAL I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHK ENG PARAMETERS ON THE WIND-MILLING ENG. WE WERE DEFINITELY NO MORE THAN 5 MINS ON 1 ENG. PROBABLY CLOSER TO 3 MINS. ARF FOLLOWED US OFF THE RWY. STOPPED ON HIGH SPD EXIT; THEY CHKED FOR FIRE; NONE NOTED. FIRE CHIEF GAVE US THE ALL CLR SO I TAXIED BACK TO A GATE AS THEY FOLLOWED FOR SAFETY. UPON ARR AT GATE PAX WERE DEPLANED.

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.