UNBEKNOWNST TO FLT CREW; B737-800 INGESTS FUEL FROM PRIOR FUEL SPILL ON RAMP. AC SYSTEM AND ACFT INTERIOR NEED TO BE EXPUNGED OF ODORS AND FUMES PRIOR TO SUBSEQUENT DEPARTURE.

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THE ACFT ON THE ADJACENT GATE PUSHED BACK TO A POS BEHIND OUR ACFT; EXPERIENCED A FUEL SPILL WHICH LEFT A LARGE POOL OF FUEL ON THE RAMP; AND WAS THEN TOWED BACK TO HIS GATE. OUR PUSH CREW DID NOT KNOW THERE HAD BEEN A FUEL SPILL BEHIND US; NOR; APPARENTLY; DID THE RAMP TWR. WE WERE GIVEN PERMISSION TO PUSH BACK. OUR CREW PUSHED OUR ACFT BACK; GAVE US PERMISSION TO START ENGS; AND THEN STOPPED THE ACFT WITH THE L ENG INLET OVER THE FUEL SPILL. THE FUEL SPILL WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF ITS PRESENCE. AFTER BOTH ENGS WERE STARTED AND JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO START TAXIING; A COUNTY PICKUP TRUCK CAME UP TO THE SIDE OF THE ACFT AND THE DRIVER GAVE THE HAND SIGNAL TO SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. I SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGS. SINCE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH THE COUNTY TRUCK DRIVER; IT TOOK A WHILE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROB WAS. EVENTUALLY; I WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD BEEN SUCKING UP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAW FUEL INTO THE L ENG INLET. I THEN NOTICED A SMELL OF JET FUEL INSIDE OUR ACFT. FO AND I DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF A GND EVAC BUT DECIDED THAT THAT WAS NOT WARRANTED. I HAD THE ACFT TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND DECIDED THAT NO HARM HAD BEEN DONE AND THAT THE ACFT WAS OK FOR SVC. THERE WAS STILL A SMELL OF JET FUEL INSIDE THE ACFT; HOWEVER; AND I WANTED THE SMELL; THE FUMES; AND ANY LIQUID FUEL THAT MIGHT BE ANYWHERE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS TO BE REMOVED. THE MAINT PROC TO ACCOMPLISH THIS REQUIRED OFFLOADING THE PAX; STARTING THE L ENG; RUNNING THE PACKS AT FULL HOT FOR A FEW MINS; AND THEN COOLING THE ACFT CABIN BACK DOWN. THIS IS WHAT WAS DONE. ONCE I WAS SATISFIED THAT THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL LEFT IN THE ACFT; THE PAX WERE RE-LOADED AND THE FLT DEPARTED.