FLC PERCEIVES A GALLEY FIRE.

Narrative

WE WERE IN LEVEL FLT WHEN WE NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE THAT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE OVERHEAD PANEL. THE SMOKE HAD A HINT OF ELECTRICAL SMELL AND NO FOOD SMELL. THE CAPT AND I DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND DECLARED AN EMER. ATC CLRED US TO DSND; WE DID SO AND ALSO TURNED TOWARDS PHL. WHILE BEING CLRED BY ATC THE FIRST CLASS FLT ATTENDANT WAS TRYING TO REACH US VIA THE INTERPHONE. ABOUT A MIN OR 2 HAD PASSED WHEN I MADE CONTACT WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT; SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD A GALLEY FIRE AND IT WAS OUT. WE TOLD ATC WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THEY RECLRED US TO FL350 FOR OUR FLT TO IAH. ATC INFORMED US THAT NO PAPERWORK WAS NECESSARY FOR THE EMER AND THAT THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT ON THEIR END. ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THAT 1 OF THE OVENS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY WAS MISSING THE HEAT-SHIELD. THE FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT REALIZE THE DANGER AND PROCEEDED TO USE THIS OVEN WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVEN FIRE. THE FA ALSO INFORMED ME THAT SHE SEES OVENS WITHOUT HEAT SHIELDS ALL THE TIME. I ASKED OTHER FA'S AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. THE CAPT NOTIFIED MAINT OF THIS DANGEROUS SIT. ON FURTHER INSPECTION BY MAINT; THEY FOUND 1 OF THE AFT GALLEY OVENS WITH A MISSING HEAT SHIELD.