AN ACR LGT FLC RETURNED TO THE ARPT BECAUSE OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE ACFT. THE GASPER FAN MOTOR HAD OVERHEATED AND FAILED.

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LEVELING OFF AT FL310 ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS NOTICED A SHARP; STRONG; ELECTRICAL SMELL. CHIEF PURSER KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AT THAT TIME AND COMPLAINED OF LIGHT HAZE AND ELECTRICAL SMELL IN THE CABIN. CREW MEMBERS DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AND ESTABLISHED COMS. CAPT ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO THE ARPT FROM ZDV. WE STARTED A DSCNT AND THE FE STARTED PULLING LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SUGGESTED A LIGHTING BALLAST MAY HAVE BURNED UP. IN THE DSCNT WE DUMPED 10000 LBS OF FUEL. THE SMELL AND HAZE STARTED TO RAPIDLY DISSIPATE. OUR ACFT WAS CLRED IN FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 26. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND ON TAXI-IN THE FE NOTICED THE GASPER FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. MAINT SUBSEQUENTLY NOTICED THE GASPER FAN MOTOR HAD OVERHEATED AND FAILED. BECAUSE THE SMELL RAPIDLY DISSIPATED AFTER PULLING THE LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS (THE GASPER FAN CIRCUIT BREAKER PROBABLY POPPED AT THE SAME TIME); THE CAPT DETERMINED DECLARING AN EMER WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN 15 MINS OF THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB. SMOKE OR SMELL IN THE CABIN IS NEVER TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.