GALLEY FIRE ON A B727-200 DURING HIGH ALT CRUISE CAUSED BY NAPKINS LAYING IN A HOT OVEN CAUSED THE FIRE WHICH WAS PUT OUT BY THE SO AND CABIN ATTENDANT.

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WHILE FLYING A SCHEDULED FLT BTWN MDW AND STL; IN CRUISE; THE FE SAID THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE. THE CAPT AND I IMMEDIATELY DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND THE FE LEFT THE COCKPIT TO IDENT THE SMOKE SOURCE; WHICH WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE CABIN. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A STACK OF NAPKINS THAT WERE SET FIRE BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT LEFT THEM IN THE OVEN FOR STORAGE AND THEN TURNED THE OVEN ON FOR USE. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH WATER. NO EMER WAS DECLARED BY DIRECTION OF THE CAPT; AND WE TRIED TO CLR THE SMOKE FROM THE CABIN IN THE PRESSURIZATION SYS SUCCESSFULLY. THE CAPT AND I BOTH MAINTAINED USE OF OUR MASKS UNTIL THE SMOKE CLRED; BY DIRECTION OF THE FE. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THE SIT WAS CAUGHT AND HANDLED IMMEDIATELY AND EFFECTIVELY BY THE FLC; IN PARTICULAR THE FE; AND THE ACTIONS OF THE CABIN CREW WAS SUSPECT AS THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THE POTENTIAL SERIOUSNESS OF THE SIT; EVEN AFTERWARDS UPON REFLECTING ON IT. FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF FIRE IN; ON; OR NEAR AN ACFT MIGHT HELP THIS IN THE FUTURE. IN OUR CASE THE SERIOUSNESS WAS CONVEYED BY THE CAPT UPON REACHING THE GND. HE ALSO FAXED OUR CHIEF PLT A LETTER EXPLAINING THE SIT BUT NO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE FAA.