FLC EXPERIENCES GALLEY FIRE; DECLARES AN EMER; RETURN LAND.

Narrative

ON OCT/XA/95; ACR FROM HNL TO NRT EXPERIENCED AN INFLT FIRE IN THE FORWARD LOWER LOBE GALLEY. AN EMER WAS DECLARED; FUEL WAS DUMPED. THE FIRE WAS EVENTUALLY EXTINGUISHED AND THE FLT RETURNED TO HNL. THE INBOUND FLT WAS A LITTLE LATE AND CATERING WAS BEHIND ON GETTING THE NEW GALLEYS ON. THE FLT ATTENDANT WORKING THE GALLEY DECIDED TO BEGIN WARMING THE FOOD PRIOR TO TKOF BECAUSE OF THE TIME COMPRESSION DUE TO LATE GALLEYS. THE FLT PUSHED BACK AT XA08 AND MADE A ROUTINE TKOF AT APPROX 722.0 LBS. DEP CTL ISSUED VECTOR HDGS AND CLB CLRNC TO FL310. CLBING THROUGH 9500 FT; THE 'FORWARD LOWER LOBE GALLEY' FIRE LIGHT AND FIRE WARNING CAME ON. WITHIN SECONDS; THE PURSER NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT THAT THE FIRE WAS CONFIRMED AND 2 FLT ATTENDANTS ARE WEARING PBE'S AND FIGHTING THE FIRE. THE CAPT STATED HE WOULD FLY AND TALK TO ATC AND THE SO. I ACCOMPLISHED THE GALLEY FIRE EMER CHKLIST. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND INFORMED ATC WE HAD TO DUMP FUEL. THE SO BEGAN THE FUEL DUMPING PROCESS AND I COMMUNICATED WITH FLT ATTENDANTS VIA THE INTERPHONE AS TO THE STATUS OF THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS IN OVEN #5 AND WAS SO HOT IT FLARED UP AFTER BEING PUT OUT 4 OF 5 TIMES. THE FLT ATTENDANTS USED AT LEAST 2 HALON BOTTLES ON THE FIRE. THE FIRE FINALLY STAYED OUT AT ABOUT AN 8 MI FINAL. 1 FLT ATTENDANT STAYED IN THE GALLEY TILL ABOUT 100 FT AGL TO INSURE IT DID NOT FLARE UP PRIOR TO RETURNING TO HIS JUMPSEAT. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG (APPROX 620.0 LBS). THE CFR CREWS MET US AT THE GATE; CONFIRMED THE FIRE WAS OUT. IN THE MEANTIME THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY; VIA PORTABLE AIRSTAIRS. CONCLUSION: EXCELLENT CRM BY THE FLC AND FLT ATTENDANTS AND GOOD SOP'S ALLOWED A POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SIT TO COME TO A SAFE CONCLUSION.