MULTIPLE PLT RPT; B767; LAX-JFK. TRASH FIRE CAUSED BY MATCHES USED TO LIGHT CANDLES ON BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR PURSER. FIRE EXTINGUISHED; CAPT NOT TOLD.

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DURING BRIEFING; THE CHIEF PURSER SEEMED DISTR AND INATTENTIVE. AFTER TKOF; SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS HUNG OVER FROM CELEBRATING HER BIRTHDAY THE NIGHT BEFORE. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT A BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR HER WAS ON BOARD. DURING DSCNT TO JFK; SHE ASKED TO HAVE MAINT PLACE A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER BACK INTO ITS BRACKET. UPON MY QUESTIONING; SHE ASSURED ME THAT THE EXTINGUISHER HAD NOT BEEN USED. AFTER LEAVING THE TERMINAL UPON ARR AT JFK; I OVERHEAD OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS DISCUSSING THE SMOLDERING TRASH FIRE THAT HAD OCCURRED. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS; I WAS TOLD; FOR THE FIRST TIME; THAT CANDLES HAD BEEN LIT FOR THE BIRTHDAY CAKE AND THAT THE USED MATCH HAD BEEN TOSSED INTO A GALLEY TRASH BIN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM THE TRASH BIN. AT THAT POINT THE HALON EXTINGUISHER WAS TAKEN FROM ITS BRACKET. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WITH ORDINARY LIQUIDS. FLT ATTENDANTS NEVER INFORMED THE COCKPIT OF THIS FIRE. I BELIEVE THE CHIEF PURSER WAS NOT FIT FOR DUTY; DISPLAYED POOR JUDGEMENT IN ALLOWING MATCHES AND CANDLES TO BE LIT INFLT; AND WAS GROSSLY NEGLIGENT IN FAILING TO NOTIFY ME ABOUT THE FIRE. I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT OUR MANUALS BE MODIFIED TO PROHIBIT OPEN FLAME ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN HE HEARD ABOUT THE INCIDENT HE WAS QUITE UPSET. HE ONLY FOUND OUT FROM THE COPLT LATER THAT HE HAD ACTUALLY SEEN THE CANDLES BEING BLOWN OUT. AT HIS AIRLINE THERE IS A SAFETY DEPARTMENT PROHIBITION OF MATCHES INFLT. HE BELIEVES THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS REG. THEREFORE; HIS 3 CONCERNS WERE NOT ONLY DID THE FLT ATTENDANTS USE MATCHES AND LIGHT CANDLES; BUT THEY NEGLECTED TO TELL HIM ABOUT AN INFLT FIRE. HE AND THE COPLT HAVE HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE COMPANY'S FLT SAFETY STANDARDS AND THE UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE. IT IS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT INFLT SVCS ARE HAVING THEIR OWN REVIEW. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 494025: AFTER EXITING THE LAVATORY; I SAW THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD A BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH LIT CANDLES FOR ONE OF THE CREW. AS THEY WERE ALREADY LIT AND BEING BLOWN OUT; I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.