FLC OF E145 INADVERTENTLY INITIATED ONE ABNORMAL CHKLIST AND COMPLETED ANOTHER AFTER A DISTR. THIS RESULTED IN AN UNNECESSARY DIVERSION TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

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WAS AT FL240 IN CRUISE DIRECT TO SBJ VOR. GOT EICAS MESSAGE OF PROB (E1 FIRE DETECTOR FAILURE) FOUND IN EMER CHKLIST AND RAN FIRST 3 ITEMS. GOT DISTR; AND THEN TURNED THE PAGE. READ DOWN TO THE 4TH OR 5TH ITEM; AND IT SAID 'IF INFLT GO TO LOWER ALT TO WARM BOTTLE; IF MESSAGE PERSISTS; LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.' ASKED ATC FOR FL200; AND IT WAS 10 DEGS C WARMER; NO CHANGE IN MESSAGE. I ASKED MSY OPS TO HAVE MAINT CALL US. I TOLD MAINT OF EICAS MESSAGE; AND THAT WE WENT DOWN TO FL200; BUT NO CHANGE. HAVE THEY HAD MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THIS? I'M ONLY 35 MI SE OF LFT; AND IT COULD BE OUR LNDG ARPT. I WAS PUT ON HOLD; AND HE SAID 'I COULD JUST FLY IT TO IAH.' I SAID 'MY CHKLIST SAYS' TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.' AT THAT TIME; GOING THROUGH MY HEAD WAS MAINT WAS TRYING TO PUSH ME TO COME TO IAH. I DISCUSSED WITH MY FO THAT 'WE COULD HAVE AN ENG FIRE AND HAVE NO INDICATION UNTIL IT FELL OFF; I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO GET PLANE ON THE GND (SAFETY FIRST). I SAID 'I'M GOING TO LFT AND NEED TO AMEND MY RELEASE TO HAVE LFT AS MY DEST. DISPATCH GAVE US DIRECT L. WENT TO L AND FO LANDED. WE PARKED ACFT AND WENT BACK OVER CHKLIST AND SAW THAT I HAD GONE INTO THE NEXT CHKLIST; WHICH IS (E1 FIRE BOTTLE INOP). LOOKING BACK A DAY LATER; SEVERAL FACTORS MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THIS SIT: 1) TAKING TIME TO RERUN THE CHKLIST AFTER THE DISTR OR HAVING THE FO RUN IT AGAIN. 2) ASKING MAINT CTL WHY HE FELT 'WE COULD JUST FLY IT TO IAH.' 3) PUTTING MAINT CTL'S OPINION WITH ALL THE OTHER INTO AND RESOURCES TOGETHER BEFORE MAKING FINAL DECISION TO DIVERT. 4) NOT RUSHING FINAL DECISION; BECAUSE OF LFT ARPT GETTING CLOSER AND GETTING MORE INPUT FROM FLO.