A B737-300 HAS 2 RETURNS TO THE GATE FOR #2 ENG IGNITION PROBS. AFTER MAINT; THE 3RD START ATTEMPT; RESULTS IN A TAILPIPE FIRE.

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ON INITIAL PUSHBACK; #2 ENG WOULD NOT START USING R IGNITOR. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY. MAINT MADE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS AND WE PUSHED BACK AGAIN. DURING START ATTEMPT OF #2 ENG BOTH IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY STATING; 'BOTH IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKERS POP DURING START ATTEMPT; #2 ENG.' THE CAPT AND I LEFT THE COCKPIT; SO MAINT COULD WORK. AFTER A SHORT TIME A MAINT MAN TOLD ME TO STRIKE MY LOGBOOK ENTRY AND WRITE 'ENTERED IN ERROR' SINCE IT WAS THE SAME PROB AND WOULD BE COVERED AS AN OPEN WRITE-UP FROM THE PREVIOUS ENTRY. I DID SO; BUT SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THIS FURTHER OR INVESTIGATED. WE PUSHED BACK AGAIN AND DURING START ON #2 ENG; WE HAD A TAILPIPE FIRE. ALL FLT DECK START INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED OUT 'FIRE' ON THE ICS AND THE GND CREW CALLED 'FIRE.' I ACCOMPLISHED THE 'TAILPIPE FIRE' CHKLIST WHILE THE CAPT MADE A PA TO THE PAX AND TALKED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND GND CREW. WE VERY NEARLY HAD AN UNCOMMANDED EVAC. THE PROBS WERE: THE PAX WERE ALREADY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SEATED AND DIDN'T SEE THE PROB AND WE RELAYING SECOND HAND INFO. MAINT DID NOT TELL US THAT PART OF THE PROC WAS TO BRING THE START LEVERS ON SEVERAL TIMES -- IF THEY HAD WE COULD HAVE EXPLAINED TO THE PAX BEFOREHAND WHAT THEY MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE. IT MAY HAVE HELPED TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AISLES TO COMFORT THE PAX.