SF340 FLT CREW REPORTS GPU FIRE SHORTLY AFTER ENGINE START WHICH IS NOT SIGNALED TO THE FLT CREW BY THE GROUND CREW OBSERVING THE START. FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTS THE FIRE AND PASSENGERS ARE DEPLANED ON TO THE RAMP.

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WE WERE NORMAL OPS THROUGH #1 ENG START (BOTH ENGS RUNNING). IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME AND THE FO THAT THE SIGNAL PERSON WANTED SOMETHING; BUT HE DID NOT GIVE ANY SIGNALS. THEN AN APPARENT RAMP SUPVR RAN OVER NEXT TO THE SIGNAL PERSON AND SIGNALED TO SHUT DOWN. THE SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ONCE THE ENGS WERE STOPPED; THE FO AND I TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. SOME OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL WERE RUNNING AROUND THE PLANE AND SOME WERE JUST RUNNING AWAY. THEN I SAW MECHS RUNNING TOWARD THE PLANE. AT THIS TIME; THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE. A PAX TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT. I ORDERED THE EVAC WHICH IMMEDIATELY COMMENCED. I CALLED OPS AND TOLD THEM TO GET SOME PEOPLE OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE PAX WERE COMING OFF. THEN I ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANT IN GETTING THE PAX OFF THE PLANE. DURING THE EVAC; A LOT OF SMOKE WAS BLOWING OVER THE PLANE'S EXIT. SOME MADE IT INTO THE CABIN. TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NO PAX WERE AFFECTED; BUT MY FO AND FLT ATTENDANT WERE BOTH TAKEN IN AN AMBULANCE FOR SMOKE INHALATION. IN MY OPINION; THERE WAS A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN PEOPLE ON THE RAMP AND THE FLT CREW. FROM THE TIME I WAS GIVEN THE SHUTDOWN SIGNAL; WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN SAY FOR SURE THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL KNEW OF THE FIRE; TO WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE WAS AT LEAST 1-2 MINS; POSSIBLY LONGER. EVEN THEN; THE INFO DID NOT COME FROM ANYONE OUTSIDE THE PLANE. IF THE FIRE HAD REACHED THE PLANE'S WING; THAT DELAY COULD HAVE PROVEN VERY COSTLY. THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OUR ACR IS TOO CHEAP AND WE ARE FORCED TO USE OLD; CRAPPY EQUIP. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN; THIS IS THE SECOND GPU TO BURN UP IN ZZZ ALONE THIS YR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 755772: I WAS GOING THROUGH THE CABIN TO DO FINAL COMPLIANCE CHK. I WAS GOING FROM THE BACK OF THE ACFT WHEN A PAX YELLED OUT THAT THE EQUIP ON THE GND OUTSIDE OF HIS WINDOW WAS ON FIRE. I WENT BACK AND LOOKED. THE GPU WAS SENDING OUT FLAMES TOWARD THE ACFT. I RAN FORWARD AND CHIMED THE CAPT TO INFORM HIM OF THE SITUATION. THE CAPT OPENED THE FLT DECK DOOR AND I INFORMED HIM THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE AND THAT WE NEEDED TO GET PAX OFF; HE AGREED. I OPENED THE DOOR AND INFORMED PAX THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET OFF QUICKLY. WHILE WE WERE EVACING THE PLANE SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN AND THE OUTSIDE AREA WAS FULL OF SMOKE. I SUFFERED SMOKE INHALATION FROM THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND ALSO THE FO SUFFERED FROM SMOKE INHALATION. WE WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER EVAL. HAVE GPU CHKED FREQUENTLY TO SEE IF THERE IS A PROB WITH THE UNITS BEFORE HOOKING UP TO PLANES.