ACR ACFT SHUT DOWN 1 ENG AND RETURN LAND AFTER ENG FIRE WARNING.

Narrative

AT ABOUT 2000 FT MSL ON DEP FROM BNA; THE #1 ENG FIRE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE BELL SOUNDED. THE FO; WHO WAS FLING; SILENCED THE BELL. THE IMMEDIATE ATTN ITEMS WERE COVERED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER; WE BEGAN THE ENG FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST. BEFORE THE BOTTLE DISCHARGE WAS PRESSED; THE LIGHT WENT OUT BY ITSELF. THE ENTIRE CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED RESULTING IN SHUTTING DOWN ENG #1. AFTER COMPLETING THE 2-ENG APCH AND LNDG CHKLIST; WE MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE THE FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY ACTION ON OUR PART. THE SAFETY OF FLT WAS NEVER IN DOUBT AFTER THE FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT; WHICH WAS ONLY ON SEVERAL SECONDS. IN OUR COMPANY I NOW NOTICE WE ARE TO DECLARE AN EMER (MANUAL) FOR ANY INDICATION OF FIRE ABOARD THE ACFT. WE WERE GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING BY APCH SO WE DID NOT HAVE TO EXERCISE THIS AUTH TO BRING THE FLT TO A SAFE CONCLUSION. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SURE 'ABOARD' THE ACFT REFERS TO ANY FIRE; I.E.; CABIN OR ENG; OR JUST CABIN; I NOW; THE NEXT DAY; BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CONSERVATIVE AND DECLARED AN EMER. OBVIOUSLY AN ENG FIRE IS AN EMER. WHEN THE LIGHT WENT OUT SO QUICKLY; IT CHANGED MY 'PERCEPTION' OF THE EVENT AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE 'EMER' CATEGORY. WE WERE NOW LEFT WITH A 2-ENG APCH AND LNDG; WHICH IS ONLY AN ABNORMAL PROC. MY PERCEPTION OF THIS EVENT AFFECTED MY JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING AFTER THE FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT SO QUICKLY. HAD THE LIGHT NOT GONE OUT SO QUICKLY MY PERCEPTION; JUDGEMENT AND DECISIONS MAY HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. THE QUESTION NOW ARISES; SHOULD THE LIGHT EXTINGUISHING SO QUICKLY AFFECTED MY JUDGEMENT? DID AN EMER STILL EXIST? IN THIS CASE; NO. MAINT INFORMED US A DUCT HAD COME LOOSE CAUSING HIGH TEMP AIR TO BE GOING WHERE IT SHOULD NOT HAVE; PROBABLY CAUSING THE FIRE WARNING.