AN L1011 IS EVACED WHEN LCL CTLR ADVISES CREW OF FIRE AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT DURING AN ABORTED AND A SECOND ATTEMPT OF AN APU START ON THE RAMP AT LIPA; FO.

Narrative

ON TAXI TO PARKING AFTER LNDG AT AVB (AVIANO AIR BASE; ITALY); TWR SAID THEY SAW POSSIBLE FLAMES AT REAR OF ACFT. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL WITH NO ENG RUNDOWN NOTED. NO FIRE WARNINGS WERE ANNUNCIATED. FE RPTED AN ABORTED START ON THE APU. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED ON THE TXWY ADJACENT THE PARKING SPOT. CFR EQUIP WAS PROCEEDING TOWARD THE ACFT. ANOTHER START WAS ATTEMPTED ON THE APU AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THE SAME TIME THE TWR RPTED CFR PERSONNEL WITNESSED FLAMES AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT. THEY ORDERED US TO EVAC. WE PULLED THE APU FIRE HANDLE AS A PRECAUTION. THERE WERE NO COCKPIT ANNUNCIATIONS OF FIRE. FIRE WARNING SYS TEST WAS SATISFACTORY. WE REQUESTED A STAIR TRUCK WHICH ARRIVED IMMEDIATELY AT THE FRONT L DOOR. PAX WERE ADVISED TO EVAC IN AN ORDERLY FASHION THROUGH THE FRONT L DOOR. ALL ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN USING APPROVED PROCS. ALL PAX AND CABIN CREW LEFT THE ACFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENT EXAM OF THE ACFT BY CFR AND MAINT PERSONNEL REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE. CONCLUSION: THIS WAS A TORCHING APU TAILPIPE FROM A BAD OR HUNG START. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TRIED TO START IT AGAIN; BUT IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO ATTEMPT A RELIGHT OF AN ABORTED APU START AND NOT CONTRARY TO PROC.