A MD80 FA RPTS THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER FOLLOWING AN ENG FIRE AFTER TKOF. THE FLT RETURN TO LAND. NO PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS HEARD ALTHOUGH THE CAPT RPTED MAKING THEM.

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CAPT CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS ON CLB TO RPT A FIRE INDICATOR LIGHT ON FOR THE BACK L ENG. HE TOLD US HE WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO LAND -- WE WERE TO START OUR EMER CHKLISTS AND HE WOULD MAKE A PA TO THE PAX. WE BEGAN THE CHKLIST; HEARD NO PA; AND WITHIN 3-5 MINS FELT THE PLANE DSND FOR LNDG. CAPT LATER RPTED HE HAD MADE 2 PA'S; SO SOMETHING FAILED -- EITHER THE SYS OR HUMAN ERROR. AS HEAD FLT ATTENDANT; I MADE A BRIEF PA AND DID NOT INDICATE THE NATURE OF THE PROB. WHEN WE HEARD NO PA; IT PIQUED OUR ANXIETY; SINCE WE ARE TRAINED THAT DURING EMER SITUATIONS; COCKPIT PLTS ARE EXTREMELY BUSY AND ONLY TO BOTHER THEM IF NECESSARY. PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE CALLED TO ASK WHY THERE WAS NO PA; BUT BY THAT TIME; LNDG WAS IMMINENT. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF WHAT HE WOULD HAVE SAID IN HIS PA; BUT LATER INFO FROM THE COMPANY HAS CONTINUED TO INDICATE THIS WAS A 'MECHANICAL FAILURE INCIDENT.' TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; THE CAPT FOLLOWED HIS PROC AND FLT ATTENDANTS FOLLOWED THEIRS. OUR PRIOR TRAINING WAS ADEQUATE AND EFFECTIVE. UPON LNDG; FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOWED THE ACFT AND THE FIRE CHIEF GAVE THE CAPT AN ALL-CLR MESSAGE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND PAX DEPLANED BY JETBRIDGE. THE INFO THE MECHS LATER RPTED WAS AN OVERHEATING IN ONE OF THE CHAMBERS (THE 13TH?) AND THAT IT BLEW IT OUT. HAD WE CONTINUED; A FIRE WOULD HAVE BROKEN OUT. I HAVE NO BASIS UPON WHICH TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT ABOUT FUTURE PREVENTION.