MLG HAS AN ENG FIRE AFTER TKOF.

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WE DEPARTED SAV ON RWY 9 WITH A CLRNC TO CLB ON RWY HDG TO 3000 FT (MY LEG TO FLY). SOMEWHERE BTWN 2000-3000 FT ON CLBOUT THE L ENG FIRE LIGHT AND BELL CAME ON. NO OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS ON ENG INSTS. NORMAL PWR. WE SILENCED THE BELL AND THE CAPT ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT AND TALK TO ATC WHILE HE PROCEEDED WITH THE ENG FIRE CHKLIST. LOTS OF THINGS WERE HAPPENING IN A FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD AN ENG FIRE INDICATION AND THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO THE SAV ARPT. THEY SAID THEY WOULD DECLARE AN EMER AND HAVE THE 'EQUIP STANDING BY.' SAV APCH OFFERED RWY 18 BUT TURNING DOWNWIND TO RWY 9 I REALIZED WE WERE TOO HIGH AND CLOSE; SO I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO RWY 9. THE CAPT WAS WORKING THROUGH THE ENG FIRE CHKLIST; SHUTTING THE ENG DOWN; PULLING THE FIRE HANDLE; DISCHARGING THE FIRE BOTTLE; ETC; AND ADVISING THE PAX VIA THE PA THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO LAND AT SAV DUE TO AN EQUIP MALFUNCTION. SOMEWHERE AROUND THE TURN TO BASE LEG AND THE EXTENSION OF THE LNDG GEAR THE CAPT ADVISED THAT HE WOULD MAKE THE LNDG. THE CAPT DID MAKE THE LNDG (ONE OF HIS BEST) AND THE TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT WERE UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE ROLLOUT I ASKED THE SAV TWR IF THEY COULD SEE ANY FIRE OR SMOKE AROUND THE L ENG. THEY SAID THERE WAS NEITHER BUT IT APPEARED THAT THE L ENG HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. WE PULLED OFF THE RWY AND ONTO THE RAMP TXWY CONTINUING THE TALK WITH TWR AND THE FIRE TRUCKS. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS OVER THE INTERCOM AND ADVISED THEM OF WHY WE RETURNED; OUR CURRENT STATUS; AND ASKED FOR THEIR OBSERVATIONS OF THE CABIN AND ENG. THE CAPT; IN CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION WITH THE FIRE TRUCKS WAS ADVISED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FIRE APPEARED TO BE OUT THERE WERE STILL HOT ENG PARTS WHICH COULD REIGNITE ANOTHER FIRE. HE THEN ELECTED TO EVAC THE ACFT AND GAVE THE EVAC SIGNAL OVER THE PA. WE COMPLETED THE EVAC CHKLIST AND EVENTUALLY LEFT THE ACFT PER THE EVAC PROC. WE HAD 127 PAX ON BOARD AND THANKS TO THE GREAT WORK OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE SAV CRASH AND RESCUE CREWS (WHO STOOD GUARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDES AN AIDED PAX) WE HAD NO SIGNIFICANT INJURIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 244552: I ELECTED TO EVAC THE ACFT. THE 2 FORWARD EXITS WERE USED.