ACR LGT LOST A WHEEL DURING TKOF. AFTER DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE APU TORCHED DURING START AND PASSENGERS INITIATED ACFT EVACUATION.

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ACFT LOST #2 MAIN WHEEL ON TKOF FROM ORD. CREW NOTIFIED BY COMPANY ENRTE. DIVERTED TO DTW PER COMPANY REQUEST. AFTER FLY BY TO VERIFY CONDITION AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. PRIOR TO LNDG TOLD PAX WE HAD A SLIGHT MECHANICAL PROB. REVIEWED EMER CONSIDERATIONS WITH COCKPIT CREW AND FLT ATTENDANTS. PRIOR TO APPROACH AND LNDG. AFTER ACFT WAS STOPPED I ADVISED PAX THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE INSPECTED AND THEN WE WOULD PROCEED TO THE GATE. COMPANY PERSONNEL PLUGGED INTO SHIPS INTERPHONE AND REQUESTED THAT #1 ENG BE SHUT DOWN WHILE THEY INSPECTED THE LEFT WHEEL WELL AREA. SO STARTED APU AS PART OF AFTER LNDG CHKLIST AND ALSO IN ANTICIPATION OF SHUTTING DOWN MORE ENGS. EVIDENTLY APU TORCHED ON LIGHT OFF. FIRE DEPT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SPRAY FOAM ON THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME SOME PAX REMOVED THE LEFT OVER WING EXITS AND EVACUATED THE ACFT. FORTUNATELY WE LEFT THE FLAPS DOWN IN THE EVENT WE HAD INCURRED ANY FLAP DAMAGE FROM THE LOST WHEEL. ABOUT 30 OF THE 74 PAX EVACUATED THE ACFT. THE COMPANY MAN ON THE GND TOLD ME OF THE EVAC ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME. WE BOTH MADE PA'S TO STOP THE EVAC AND THESE WERE SUCCESSFUL. NO ONE WAS HURT. WE DID OUR BEST TO KEEP THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED DURING THIS INCIDENT. NATURALLY PEOPLE ARE APPREHENSIVE AND ON EDGE. I FEEL IF THE FIRE DEPT HAD BEEN LESS ZEALOUS IN THEIR ACTIONS WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THIS EVAC. I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THEIR CONCERN AND ABILITIES. IN MY 31 YEARS OF FLYING I'VE CALLED THEM OUT MANY TIMES. I DO THINK THAT IF THE CREW IS NOT INCAPACITATED; THE CREW SHOULD CONTROL THE DESTINY OF THE ACFT EVEN IF IT'S STOPPED AND PARKED ON THE GND. WE WERE ON THE SAME RADIO (GND CONTROL) AS THE FIRE DEPT AND A RADIO CALL COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE PROB. I EMPHASIZE COULD HAVE. I'D SURE LIKE MORE INPUT INTO WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MY AIRPLANE. AFTER ALL I'M THE ONE THAT HAS TO WRITE ALL THE REPORTS. PLEASE INCLUDE FO AND SO AS CO-RPTRS.