Narrative:

While at cruise FL350 from ZZZ1-ZZZ2 the purser called the flight deck from the aft cabin and said the smoke detector was sounding off and that there was a strong electrical burnt smell. He also said that flight attendant X had discharged a full bottle of halon into the aft forward lavatory door jamb and that flames had come out of the door jamb. I was the PF at the time and told the first officer to declare an emergency and that we were diverting. Center cleared flight direct to ZZZ3. We then started an emergency descent. The emergency trucks were standing by. During the divert the purser kept the captain and first officer posted of the situation. After landing I did not evacuate/evacuation the cabin because there was no evidence of a continuing fire. I parked the aircraft and had the airstairs brought up to 3L and then asked the fire chief to inspect the fire site. It was determined that there was no evidence of a continuous fire. The captain and first officer recovered flight approximately 2:30 hours later and flew to ZZZ2. The entire crew worked extremely well together and brought flight to a safe conclusion. Supplemental information from acn 768925: the purser reported a burnt electrical smell and charring around the lavatory occupied sign and that a passenger had seen flames from the same location. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the fire department found wires shorted inside the door occupied sign. The flames resulted from the heat generated around the sign and was quickly extinguished after the wiring burned through.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO NEARBY ARPT AFTER THE FA'S REPORTED A FIRE AND DISCHARGED HALON IN THE AFT LAV.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE FL350 FROM ZZZ1-ZZZ2 THE PURSER CALLED THE FLT DECK FROM THE AFT CABIN AND SAID THE SMOKE DETECTOR WAS SOUNDING OFF AND THAT THERE WAS A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNT SMELL. HE ALSO SAID THAT FLT ATTENDANT X HAD DISCHARGED A FULL BOTTLE OF HALON INTO THE AFT FORWARD LAVATORY DOOR JAMB AND THAT FLAMES HAD COME OUT OF THE DOOR JAMB. I WAS THE PF AT THE TIME AND TOLD THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING. CTR CLRED FLT DIRECT TO ZZZ3. WE THEN STARTED AN EMER DSCNT. THE EMER TRUCKS WERE STANDING BY. DURING THE DIVERT THE PURSER KEPT THE CAPT AND FO POSTED OF THE SITUATION. AFTER LNDG I DID NOT EVAC THE CABIN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CONTINUING FIRE. I PARKED THE ACFT AND HAD THE AIRSTAIRS BROUGHT UP TO 3L AND THEN ASKED THE FIRE CHIEF TO INSPECT THE FIRE SITE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A CONTINUOUS FIRE. THE CAPT AND FO RECOVERED FLT APPROX 2:30 HRS LATER AND FLEW TO ZZZ2. THE ENTIRE CREW WORKED EXTREMELY WELL TOGETHER AND BROUGHT FLT TO A SAFE CONCLUSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 768925: THE PURSER RPTED A BURNT ELECTRICAL SMELL AND CHARRING AROUND THE LAVATORY OCCUPIED SIGN AND THAT A PAX HAD SEEN FLAMES FROM THE SAME LOCATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE FIRE DEPT FOUND WIRES SHORTED INSIDE THE DOOR OCCUPIED SIGN. THE FLAMES RESULTED FROM THE HEAT GENERATED AROUND THE SIGN AND WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED AFTER THE WIRING BURNED THROUGH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.