EMB145 CREW RETURNED TO THE GATE AFTER THE PUSHBACK CREW OBSERVED SMOKE AND FIRE FROM THE #1 ENG ON ATTEMPTED ENG START.

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#2 ENG STARTED NORMALLY. AFTER PUSH COMPLETE; ATTEMPTED TO START #1 ENG. N2 ON #1 ROLLED UP TO APPROX 4.5%; THEN DROPPED BACK TO ZERO. PROB PRESENTED AS IF START KNOB DID NOT WORK. NO OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS WERE RECEIVED IN COCKPIT. NOTIFIED OPS/MAINT AND REQUESTED RAMPERS TO ASSIST US IN RETURNING TO GATE. APPROX 5 MINS PASSED UNTIL GND PERSONNEL PLUGGED INTO INTERPHONE AND ADVISED US THAT OUR L ENG HAD SHOT A 3 FT FLAME AND SMOKE OUT OF THE BOTTOM. I QUESTIONED THEM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE WERE STILL FLAMES/SMOKE PRESENT. GND ADVISED NO. WE RAN APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AS A PRECAUTION. AFTER PARKING ACFT; THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL DELAY BEFORE WE COULD GET GND PERSONNEL TO UNLOAD GATE CHKED BAGS IN ORDER FOR PAX TO DEPLANE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED HAD GND PERSONNEL ACTED MORE EXPEDIENTLY IN NOTIFYING US OF THE ENG FLAMES. WE HAD NO INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT OF FIRE; AND NEED TO COUNT ON OUR GND PERSONNEL TO NOTIFY US IF THEY WITNESS SOMETHING ABNORMAL CONCERNING OUR ACFT. FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENG IS ABNORMAL. CAUSE OF ENG PROB WAS LIKELY A FAILED AIR TURBINE STARTER.