A B747-400 AFTER PARKING ON GATE ACFT EXPERIENCED SMOKE AND A SMALL FIRE FROM THE L MAIN GEAR CAUSED BY UNINTENTIONALLY APPLYING BRAKES FOR XWIND CORRECTIONS.

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ACR FLT XYZ NRT-ORD. LNDG RWY 14R AT APPROX 8000 FT. GROSS WT ESTIMATED AT 540000 LBS AND A 25 DEG FLAP REF OF 147 KTS; WIND 22 DEG AT 14 KTS AND AN APCH SPD OF 155 KTS. LANDED AT APPROX 159 KTS WITH AUTOBRAKES SET AT 2 AND AUTOSPOILERS ARMED. IDLE REVERSE THRUST SELECTED AND MANUAL BRAKES USED WITH A TURNOFF AT T9 (APPROX 8000-8800 FT). TAXI TO GATE NORMAL AND PARKED BY GUIDEMAN AT XZ AFTER PARKING CHKLIST COMPLETED AND DOOR 1L OPENED AND PAX DEPLANED; NOTICED STEAM RISING FROM R SIDE OF ACFT AND SUSPECTED HOT BRAKES. PULLED UP GEAR SYNOPTIC WHICH SHOWED OVERHEATED BRAKES ON L SIDE (BOTH WING AND BODY GEAR). UNABLE TO CONTACT MECHS ON INTERPHONE (HEADSET) AND CALLED INTL OPS TO HAVE SOMEONE TO COME OUT TO LOOK AT THE BRAKES. A MECH CAME ON THE HEADSET TO TELL ME TO RELEASE THE BRAKES AND 1 MIN OR SO LATER TOLD US TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE; AFTER WHICH WE DEPLANED THE ACFT. I WAS CALLED AT HOME BY A FLT MGR AT APPROX XA00Z AND TOLD WE DID IN FACT HAVE HOT BRAKES AND AT XB15Z WAS CONTACTED BY A MAINT CHIEF WHO THEN TOLD ME THERE WERE NOT ONLY HOT BRAKES BUT A SMALL FIRE. I BELIEVE THE HOT BRAKES CAUSED BY UNINTENTIONALLY APPLYING L BRAKES WHEN CORRECTING FOR THE R XWIND AS THE FO CALLED OUT 'AUTOBRAKES OFF' SOON AFTER TOUCHDOWN. NO INDICATION OF DRAGGING BRAKES (IE; PULLING OR CHATTERING) ON TAXI IN; SO MUST CONCLUDE I APPLIED BRAKING. WILL PAY CLOSER ATTN TO KEEPING FEET OFF OF BRAKE PEDALS WHEN USING AUTOBRAKES AND PERHAPS DELAYING MANUAL BRAKES TO FURTHER IN THE LNDG ROLL.