Narrative:

I was advised during my break that there was an electrical problem and that I needed to come to the galley. Upon entering the cabin from the break area; I smelled a burnt electrical smell. Once in the first class galley; the flight attendants had a halon fire extinguisher at the ready and had turned off some of the galley equipment. There was a strong smell of burnt insulation or a bad ballast but only a small amount of residual smoke. There was no visible fire. The area around the coffee makers was very warm and the smell was greater there than anywhere else. I told the flight attendants to leave the lights off in the galley area and in the first class cabin and then turned off the remaining switches and pulled all the circuit breakers in the galley. With a knife the galley electrical panel was opened; and upon examination found no burned; smoldering; or brown wires and the panel was very clean as was the area around it and no smoke. The trim above the top galley panel was pulled out and I could see the area behind the galley panels all the way to the fuselage and saw no smoke or smoldering. With all lights off and galley circuit breakers pulled there was no more smoke and the fumes had subsided. The cockpit had called to get an update and I advised them of the situation. They asked if they were to divert; and I indicated that diverting would not be necessary. After advising the flight attendants to monitor the situation and call the cockpit periodically with updates; I returned to the cockpit. Discussed the previous information with the crew; they said that the flight attendants had called them and said the galley was on fire. So crew did appropriate checklists and called dispatch. When I gave them updated information they were less alarmed and agreed with me that we should monitor the situation and proceed on course. After discussing the situation with dispatch and maintenance; they also agreed that we should continue and monitor the situation. We also kept track of; along with dispatch; the suitable alternates along our route. No further problems arose and we landed safely in ZZZ. After landing; maintenance came on board to be briefed by the crew. They then pulled out the coffee makers to examine the problem and found a wire had come loose on top of one of the coffee makers and began to short out causing the smoke and fumes and also blackening a small area on the ceiling of the coffee maker compartment. Turning off the galley equipment had solved the problem. My suggestion resulting from this situation is; to quit treating our crews as if we are criminals and give us back our small set of tools to help us do our jobs and keep us and our passenger safe -- particularly on extended overwater operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ENCOUNTERING DIFFICULTY IN ASSESSING AND ACCESSING A POSSIBLE GALLEY FIRE; CAPTAIN OF B777-200 DECRIES SECURITY DECISION DISALLOWING FLT CREWS FROM CARRYING SMALL TOOLS.

Narrative: I WAS ADVISED DURING MY BREAK THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND THAT I NEEDED TO COME TO THE GALLEY. UPON ENTERING THE CABIN FROM THE BREAK AREA; I SMELLED A BURNT ELECTRICAL SMELL. ONCE IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY; THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER AT THE READY AND HAD TURNED OFF SOME OF THE GALLEY EQUIP. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF BURNT INSULATION OR A BAD BALLAST BUT ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL SMOKE. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE FIRE. THE AREA AROUND THE COFFEE MAKERS WAS VERY WARM AND THE SMELL WAS GREATER THERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO LEAVE THE LIGHTS OFF IN THE GALLEY AREA AND IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN AND THEN TURNED OFF THE REMAINING SWITCHES AND PULLED ALL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN THE GALLEY. WITH A KNIFE THE GALLEY ELECTRICAL PANEL WAS OPENED; AND UPON EXAMINATION FOUND NO BURNED; SMOLDERING; OR BROWN WIRES AND THE PANEL WAS VERY CLEAN AS WAS THE AREA AROUND IT AND NO SMOKE. THE TRIM ABOVE THE TOP GALLEY PANEL WAS PULLED OUT AND I COULD SEE THE AREA BEHIND THE GALLEY PANELS ALL THE WAY TO THE FUSELAGE AND SAW NO SMOKE OR SMOLDERING. WITH ALL LIGHTS OFF AND GALLEY CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED THERE WAS NO MORE SMOKE AND THE FUMES HAD SUBSIDED. THE COCKPIT HAD CALLED TO GET AN UPDATE AND I ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. THEY ASKED IF THEY WERE TO DIVERT; AND I INDICATED THAT DIVERTING WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. AFTER ADVISING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO MONITOR THE SITUATION AND CALL THE COCKPIT PERIODICALLY WITH UPDATES; I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. DISCUSSED THE PREVIOUS INFO WITH THE CREW; THEY SAID THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD CALLED THEM AND SAID THE GALLEY WAS ON FIRE. SO CREW DID APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND CALLED DISPATCH. WHEN I GAVE THEM UPDATED INFO THEY WERE LESS ALARMED AND AGREED WITH ME THAT WE SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION AND PROCEED ON COURSE. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT; THEY ALSO AGREED THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE AND MONITOR THE SITUATION. WE ALSO KEPT TRACK OF; ALONG WITH DISPATCH; THE SUITABLE ALTERNATES ALONG OUR RTE. NO FURTHER PROBS AROSE AND WE LANDED SAFELY IN ZZZ. AFTER LNDG; MAINT CAME ON BOARD TO BE BRIEFED BY THE CREW. THEY THEN PULLED OUT THE COFFEE MAKERS TO EXAMINE THE PROB AND FOUND A WIRE HAD COME LOOSE ON TOP OF ONE OF THE COFFEE MAKERS AND BEGAN TO SHORT OUT CAUSING THE SMOKE AND FUMES AND ALSO BLACKENING A SMALL AREA ON THE CEILING OF THE COFFEE MAKER COMPARTMENT. TURNING OFF THE GALLEY EQUIP HAD SOLVED THE PROB. MY SUGGESTION RESULTING FROM THIS SITUATION IS; TO QUIT TREATING OUR CREWS AS IF WE ARE CRIMINALS AND GIVE US BACK OUR SMALL SET OF TOOLS TO HELP US DO OUR JOBS AND KEEP US AND OUR PAX SAFE -- PARTICULARLY ON EXTENDED OVERWATER OPS.

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.