GRUMMAN AA5 PILOT REPORTS ENGINE RUNNING SLIGHTLY ROUGH AND RETURNS FOR LANDING. WHILE TALKING TO THE CRASH CREW AT THE TIE DOWN; A FIRE IS DETECTED IN THE ENGINE AND QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED.

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I TOOK MY TIGER FOR ITS FIRST FLT AFTER THE ANNUAL WAS COMPLETED (APPROX 3 WKS EARLIER). WHILE INFLT; I RAN THE ENG THROUGH DIFFERENT RPM SETTINGS INCLUDING 3-5 MINS OF SLOW FLT (1800 RPM). WHILE IN SLOW FLT; I FELT THE ENG RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH; SO I APPLIED CARB HEAT AND GAVE IT FULL PWR. THE ENG RETURNED TO NORMAL OP; AND I DECIDED TO RETURN TO MY HOME ARPT. THE TWR WAS CHANGING RWYS AND TOLD ME THAT I WAS #4 IN THE PATTERN. I TOLD THEM THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND ASKED IF I CAN GET DOWN QUICKER. THEY OFFERED ME A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 32. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TAXIED TO MY TIE-DOWN. GND CTL INFORMED ME THAT THEY CALLED THE CRASH TRUCK AND IT WOULD MEET ME AT TXWY E. AT THE TIE-DOWN; I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND WENT TO TALK TO THE CRASH TRUCK DRIVER. I TOLD HIM THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. HE THEN ASKED ME FOR NAME; ADDRESS; ETC. WHILE TALKING TO HIM; WE NOTICED THAT SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FRONT COWLING AND A HOLE WAS STARTING TO APPEAR. HE GOT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. 3 PEOPLE FROM FSDO CAME OUT TO THE PLANE TO EXAMINE IT. I PRESENTED MY LICENSE; MEDICAL AND THE PLANE'S PAPERS. I TOLD THEM THE STORY. THEY ALSO ASKED FOR THE NAME OF MY MECH AND IF THEY COULD SEE THE LOGBOOKS. I TOLD THEM I DID NOT HAVE THEM WITH ME AND THAT THEY WERE STILL WITH THE MECH. WITH THEIR HELP; I REMOVED THE LOWER PORTION OF THE COWLING AND FOUND BURNT NESTING MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH THE FRONT BAFFLING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO SEE THIS AREA WHEN OPENING UP THE ENG COMPARTMENT DURING PREFLT. THEY SEEMED TO BE SATISFIED AND RELEASED THE PLANE BACK TO ME. EVERYBODY LEFT; I THEN PULLED THE PLANE APPROX 100 YARDS TO THE WASH AREA AND COMPLETELY WASHED DOWN THE ENTIRE ENG COMPARTMENT TO REMOVE THE EXTINGUISHER POWDER THEN PULLED THE PLANE BACK TO ITS TIE-DOWN.