MD88 ACFT ON RAMP IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF; FO STARTED REMAINING ENG BUT FORGOT TO TURN ON THE IGNITION. FLC WAITED FOR ENG TO STOP ROTATION AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED START. EGT READ VERY HIGH AND FLC SHUT DOWN ENG AS RPTS FROM OTHER ACFT NOTED FLAME AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENG. FLC COMMENCED EVAC; BUT THE FIRE DEPT STOPPED IT AFTER JUST A FEW PAX HAD DEPLANED.

Narrative

AS PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED; COPLT STARTED R ENG BY HIMSELF. WHILE STILL TAXIING ACROSS RWY 3/21; THE COPLT INFORMED ME HE WAS STOPPING THE START PROC BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO TURN ON THE IGNITION. I GLANCED UP AT THE IGNITION AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS IN THE OFF POS. THE COPLT PULLED OUT THE POM; REVIEWED IT; AND THEN INFORMED HE WAS GOING TO START THE R ENG. I CONFIRMED THE ROTATION HAD STOPPED; AND THE COPLT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. AS I STOPPED TAXIING SHORT OF THE PAD AT RWY 36; THE COPLT INDICATED HE HAD A HOT START. I LOOKED AT THE EGT AND SAW 675 DEGS. I NOTED THE COPLT WAS SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG AND THAT THE EGT WAS DECREASING. WE DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS AND DETERMINED WE MUST RETURN TO THE GATE FOR MAINT. THE COPLT CALLED THE COMPANY. I NOTED EGT AT 232 DEGS. I ASSUMED A HIGH QUARTERING TAILWIND WAS CAUSING THE EGT TO REMAIN HIGH. I MOTORED THE ENG FOR 30 SECONDS AND THE EGT DROPPED TO 85 DEGS. I GOT CLRNC TO RETURN TO THE GATE AREA AND DID A 180 DEG TO PROCEED N ON TXWY J. PRIOR TO XING RWY 3/21 ON TXWY J; THE TWR CALLED INDICATING OTHER ACFT NOTED SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE R ENG. I STOPPED THE ACFT PRIOR TO REACHING RWY 3/21. I ASKED THE TWR IF THE FIRE WAS OUT. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T SEE IT; BUT HAD RECEIVED CALLS FROM NUMEROUS LNDG AND TAXIING ACFT THAT THE R ENG HAD SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM IT. WE TOLD THE TWR TO SEND FOR THE FIRE DEPT. WE DISCUSSED THE NEED TO EVAC; AND DECIDED TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR EVAC; BUT NOT TO INITIATE THE EVAC AT THIS TIME. THE COPLT CALLED TO FLT ATTENDANT; 1ST CLASS; THAT WE HAD POSSIBLE ENG FIRE AND TO PREPARE FOR AN ORDERLY EVAC. WE STARTED THE EVAC CHKLIST BY CONFIGURING THE ACFT. BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONTINUING FIRE SOMEWHERE IN THE R ENG; WE ELECTED TO PULL THE FIRE HANDLE TO INSURE ALL SYS TO THE R ENG WERE SHUT OFF. BY THIS TIME; THE FIRE DEPT WAS SEEN RESPONDING TO THE ACFT; AND WE DETERMINED THE USE OF THE FIRE BOTTLE WAS NOT NECESSARY. WE STILL HAD NO COCKPIT INDICATIONS OF FIRE; BUT THE TWR INDICATED WE STILL HAD SMOKE AND FIRE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FIRE DEPT ON BOTH GND CTL AND TWR FREQS; BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I CALLED THE TWR FOR THE FREQ THAT THE FIRE DEPT WAS ON; BUT THE TWR SAID THEY WERE COORDINATING THAT NOW. WE DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO EVAC THE ACFT AND COMPLETED THE REMAINING ITEMS ON THE EVAC CHKLIST. WE DETERMINED THAT WITH ONLY 49 PAX ON BOARD; WE COULD PERFORM A TIMELY EVAC BY USING ONLY THE 1L DOOR. THIS WOULD KEEP THE PAX AWAY FROM THE FIRE DEPT ACTIVITY AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THE COPLT MADE A PA FOR AN ORDERLY; CTLED EVAC OUT THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT; OUT THE 1L DOOR. WE THEN INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE HAD STARTED EVAC AND WERE LEAVING THE COCKPIT. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. SOON AFTER THIS; THE FIRE DEPT DIRECTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO STOP THE EVAC PROCESS. SEVERAL PAX (8-10) EVACED BEFORE THEY WERE STOPPED. THE COPLT RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WHILE I PROCEEDED TO THE 1L DOOR TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FIRE DEPT. THEY INDICATED THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED; AND THEY DID NOT WANT ANY MORE PAX TO EVAC. WHEN THE FIRE WAS FINALLY OUT; THE FIRE DEPT LOWERED THE REAR STAIRS. BY THEN; WE HAD COORDINATED FOR THE EVACED PAX TO REBOARD THE ACFT WHILE WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. MAINT ARRIVED WITH A TUG. WE INFORMED THEM THAT WE COULD NOT START THE APU (LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE). THEY ATTEMPTED TO START THE APU BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WE STILL HAD PWR FOR THE INTERCOM AND SOME RESIDUAL BRAKE PRESSURE; SO MAINT STARTED TOWING TO GATE. THE FIRST TUG DIED. A NEW TUG REMOVED THE OLD TUG AND THEN PULLED US BACK TO GATE. WE ARRIVED AT GATE AND DEPLANED ALL PAX.