PAX EVACUATION.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG AT RWS; I TURNED OFF THE RWY ONTO A TXWY THAT LED TO OUR GATE APPROX 200 YARDS AWAY. THE FE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING THE APU UP TO SPD; SO I TOLD HIM TO DISCONTINUE THE START WHICH HE DID AND WE WOULD USE GND PWR AT THE GATE. IT WOULD NOT SHUTDOWN; SO I TOLD HIM TO PULL THE FINE HANDLE WHICH HE DID. AFTER COMPLETING THE PARKING AND OVERNIGHT CHKLIST; I TOLD HIM TO RESET THE HANDLE AND SEE IF THE APU WOULD CRANK. IT STARTED TO CRANK NORMALLY; SO WE SHUT IT DOWN NORMALLY AND STARTED TO DEPLANE THE ACFT. I TOLD HIM NOT TO WRITE IT UP AS IT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND OPENED THE CABIN DOOR AT WHICH TIME SOME PAX SAID WE HAD A FIRE IN BACK. I SAID THERE WAS NO FIRE; JUST PROBABLY THE APU TORCHING OFF AND PROCEEDED TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT WHERE I DISCOVERED THAT THE AFT ENTRY DOOR WAS OPEN AND SOME PAX HAD EXITED DOWN THE REAR STAIRS. I THOUGHT WE HAD RECOVERED THOSE PAX BACK UP THE STAIRS; EXPLAINED TO THEM ABOUT APU'S SOMETIMES TORCHING OFF PARTICULARLY THE OPTICAL ILLUSION AT NIGHT WHEN IT LIGHTS OFF. WE THEN PROCEEDED OUT THE ACFT AND TO THE HOTEL. THE NEXT DAY I GOT A CALL FROM THE MGMNT PLT ABOUT OUR EMER EVACUATION. I SAID WE HAD NO EMER EVACUATION IN MY OPINION AND I DID NOT WRITE THE APU UP AS THIS IS A SOMETIMES NORMAL OCCURRENCE OF TORCHING OFF AT NIGHT TIME. LATER ON; I LEARNED THAT THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT HAD INDEED OPENED THE AFT DOOR WHEN SOME MALE PAX HOLLERED 'THERE IS A FIRE; OPEN THE DOOR.' I THEN LEARNED FROM HER THAT SHE HAD GONE DOWN THE STAIRS FOLLOWED BY APPROX 15 PAX. SHE STATED THAT SHE SAID NOTHING BUT WAS JUST FOLLOWING THE MALE PAX COMMANDS. I HAD A LONG TALK WITH HER ABOUT WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE COCKPIT BEFORE DOING ANYTHING AND; WHEN SHE DID SOMETHING; TO TELL THE CAPT VOLUNTARILY; NOT HAVE IT BE DRAGGED OUT OF HER. MY CORRECTIVE ACTION IS THAT NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT THE MAINT WRITE UP IS; TO GO AHEAD AND WRITE IT UP AND LET THEM SIGN IT OFF HOWEVER THEY WANT TO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 299265: WE FOUND OUT THE NEXT DAY; 1 OF THE PAX IS FILING A COMPLAINT AND OR SUING; THE COMPANY.