EMER DECLARED AND DIVERSION TO ALT ARPT AFTER CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS CABIN FIRE SUBSEQUENT TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE.

Narrative

ACFT HAD JUST COMPLETED MISSED APCH AT MSY DUE TO TSTM ACTIVITY. WE WERE ENRTE TO OUR DIVERSION BASE OF HOU. AT APPROX 20000 FT; THE ACFT WAS EITHER STRUCK BY LIGHTNING; OR EXPERIENCED A STATIC DISCHARGE. ACFT PERFORMANCE AND INST INDICATIONS REMAINED NORMAL. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE 'A' LINE FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED A CABIN FIRE. SHE WENT ON TO SAY THAT; ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO SMOKE; THERE WAS AN ODOR PRESENT AND THE CEILING JUST AFT OF THE FIRST CLASS DIVIDER WAS HOT TO THE TOUCH. THE INFLT CABIN FIRE CHKLIST WAS INITIATED. THE CABIN ALT WAS RAISED TO 9500 FT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHKLIST AS WAS A DSCNT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT; LAKE CHARLES; LA. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LIKELY SOURCE OF THE HEAT AND ODOR WAS A LIGHTING FIXTURE IN THE CEILING. CABIN LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED AND THE FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THE CEILING WAS COOLING OFF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED AT LAKE CHARLES. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL DISCOVERED THAT THE UPPER ROTATING BEACON HAD FALLEN FROM ITS HOUSING AND FALLEN ON THE CEILING PANEL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OF ANY KIND TO THE ACFT. THE EMER WAS TERMINATED AT APPROX AM30 LCL.