FLT CREW FAILED TO ARM IGNITERS RESULTING IN FUEL ACCUMULATION IN THE TAIL PIPE AND FIRE OUT THE TAIL CONE WHEN IGNITERS WERE TURNED ON.

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TO CONSERVE FUEL; ONE ENG IS STARTED AT THE GATE AND THE SECOND ENG AT THE RWY. OUR APU WAS INOP. NOT WANTING TO DISTURB THE ACFT BEHIND US; WE WAITED UNTIL WE WERE BETWEEN RWY 34R AND 34L. AT SEA TO RUNUP THE OPERATING ENG FOR A CROSSBLEED START. THE ENG WOULD NOT START. FURTHER CHKING REVEALED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN ON. WHILE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER START; AN ACFT CALLED AND SAID WE HAD A POSSIBLE TAILPIPE FIRE. THE START ATTEMPT WAS STOPPED WHILE CONTINUING TO CRANK TO CLR THE ENG OF FUEL. I HEADED BACK TOWARD THE RAMP. THE FIRE CREW MET ME ON THE RAMP AND SAID THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FIRE. WHILE THE FIRE CREW WAS THERE; ANOTHER START WAS ATTEMPTED AND WAS SUCCESSFUL. SINCE I KNEW THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN CREATED BY US AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ACFT; I DECIDED TO TKOF AND CONTINUE THE TRIP. I PROBABLY LEFT MYSELF OPEN TO CRITICISM BY NOT RETURNING TO THE GATE AND HAVE MAINT LOOK AT THE ENG BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER START. IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN; I PROBABLY WOULD RETURN TO THE GATE. I THINK THE FACTORS HERE ARE TWO MAN CREW; NIGHT TIME; CROSS BLEED START AT THE END OF THE RWY; ATTEMPTING TO SAVE FUEL TO AN EXTENT NOT NECESSARY. THIS KIND OF A SITUATION IS TOO BUSY AND THINGS GET IN TOO MUCH OF A HURRY FOR A TWO MAN CREW. AFTER THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN CORRECTED; EVERYTHING POINTED TO THE FACT THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENG. SO MY JUDGEMENT WAS WHY DELAY ANY FURTHER BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE. HOWEVER; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME TO CONSIDER ALL THE ASPECTS OF ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: F/O VERY EXPERIENCED ON THE ACFT; FAILED TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL LEVER WHEN HE NOTICED THE ENG DID NOT LIGHT UP. AS A RESULT WHEN HE REALIZED HIS ERROR IN NOT ARMING THE IGNITERS AND TURNING THEM ON; FUEL HAD ACCUMULATED IN THE TAIL PIPE WHICH IGNITED CAUSING THE FIRE TO SHOOT OUT THE TAIL OF THE ENG. AS SOON AS THE OTHER ACFT RPTED THE FIRE; THE CAPT SHUT OFF THE FUEL LEVER AND ADVISED THE F/O TO CONTINUE MOTORING THE ENG TO BLOW OUT THE EXCESS FUEL. NO EGT LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED AND AFTER INSPECTION BY THE FIRE CREW THE FLT DEPARTED. RPTR DOES NOT LIKE THE TWO MAN CREW CONCEPT; BUSY COCKPIT AND IN THE FUTURE IN A SIMILAR INCIDENT; WILL RETURN TO THE GATE FOR MAINT INSPECTION OF THE ENG. NO PROB ON THIS FLT AND THE COMPANY IS TAKING NO ACTION.