PLT IN A T6 SMT EXPERIENCES A FIRE IN THE COCKPIT WHEN A FUEL LINE BREAKS AND IS IGNITED BY A SHORTED ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. PLT IS TOO BUSY WITH MAKING A DEADSTICK LNDG AT OMN ARPT TO CALL DAB APCH FOR CLRNC INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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WHILE DOING TRAINING AT 6500 FT I EXPERIENCED COCKPIT FIRE FROM BROKEN FUEL PRESSURE LINE AND SHORTED ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT. OMN ARPT WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE. I SHUT OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR AND MIXTURE AND COMPLETED A DEADSTICK LNDG AT ORMOND BEACH. THE FIRE WENT OUT ON THE APCH AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CALL DAB APCH FOR A CLRNC INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OVERLYING OMN ARPT. RPTR SAID THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM A LEAKING FUEL LINE. THAT LINE WAS A SLOW DRIP TYPE LEAK; IN THE AREA BY THE FIREWALL. SOME 9 YRS PRIOR TO THIS THE ALUMINUM TUBE LINE MUST HAVE BEEN 'NICKED' WHEN SOME ELECTRONIC EQUIP AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE COCKPIT SIDE OF THE FIREWALL. WHEN THE FUEL DRIPPED ONTO A 90 DEG INSTALLATION PLATE IT CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TERMINALS THAT WERE NEARBY. THE FIRE FLARED UP SEVERAL TIMES. THIS WAS REFERRED TO AS 'A CONSTANT SHORT.' WHEN OBSERVED THE FIRST TIME; THE RPTR THOUGHT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND ASKED THE TRNEE PLT IN THE FRONT SEAT TO TURN OFF ALL THE MASTER SWITCHES. THAT WOULD BE HAVING ALL THE SWITCHES PLACED 'DOWN.' THE TRNEE PLACED THEM UP INSTEAD. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT RPTR FINALLY RECOGNIZED THE EVENT AS FUEL RELATED AND TURNED OFF THE FUEL SELECTOR; PULLED THE MIXTURE CTL OFF AND DEAD STICKED THE ACFT INTO THE CHOSEN FIELD. HE DID NOT HAVE TIME; THE EXPERTISE; OR THE NEED FOR THE HALON EXTINGUISHER IN THE BACK SEAT AS THE FIRE WENT OUT AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL. HE FEELS THAT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED CASE; AN INSTALLATION PROB OF YEARS AGO.