ACR MLG ENGINE TAILPIPE FIRE DURING PUSHBACK AND ENGINE START. FO TURNED ON EMERGENCY LIGHTS INSTEAD OF THE ENGINE IGNITION. FUEL WAS INTRODUCED INTO A HOT TAILPIPE AND STARTED TO BURN.

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MLG HAD 2 MEL'S ALREADY. FWD AIRSTAIR INOP AND 1 ENG FIRE DETECTOR LOOP. ENRTE TO MSY RIGHT AIR CONDITIONING SUPPLY TEMP HIGH LIGHT ILLUMINATED. LIGHT EXTINGUISHED AFTER I TURNED THE RIGHT HP BLEED OFF. NOTIFIED MY MAINT CENTER IN CHICAGO WHO ARRANGED FOR CONTRACT MAINT TO CHK OUT THE PROB. ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER REFUELING I HAD A FUEL SPILL OUT THE RIGHT WING VENT. A CHECK VALVE HAD UNSEATED ALLOWING THE CENTER FUEL PUMPS TO PUMP FUEL INTO THE LEFT TANK. PLANNED LOAD WAS 9000/5500/9000. GAUGE READ 9600/4500/9000. CALLED MSY FD TO WASH FUEL SPILL AND SECURED ELECTRICAL PWR FROM ACFT. 3 PAX WHO WERE DENIED BOARDING FOR CAUSING A DISTURBANCE AT THE GATE WALKED DOWN THE JETWAY AND HAD TO BE REMOVED BY MSY POLICY. FOLLOWING A MAINT RUN UP OF RIGHT ENG TO CHK ACFT HIGH TEMP LIGHT; WE BOARDED THE ACFT. CONTRACT RAMP PERSONNEL DID NOT UTILIZE A HEADSET DURING PUSHBACK BUT RELIED ON HAND SIGNALS. OUR COMPANY PROC DURING PUSHBACK STARTS IS FOR THE F/O TO FLOW; READ AND RESPOND TO THE ENG START CHKLIST AND THE CAPT TO COORDINATE THE PUSHBACK. THE F/O INADVERTENTLY REACHED UP AND MOVED THE EMER LIGHTS FROM 'ARM' TO 'ON'; INSTEAD OF PUTTING THE IGNITION SWITCH TO 'GND START AND CONTINUOUS'. BOTH SWITCHES ARE THE SAME SIZE AND SHAPE AND ARE LOCATED ABOUT 4' APART. AT 20% N2 HE RPTED NO IGNITION (LIGHT OFF). I SAW THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS OFF. NOW I SAW THE EMER LIGHTS WERE ON. I TOLD HIM TO ABORT THE START AND MOTOR THE STARTER TO CLEAR THE ENG. THE FUEL LEVER WAS OFF AFTER HE ABORTED THE START. I TOLD HIM TO START THE LEFT ENG AND WE WOULD START THE RIGHT AFTER INDICATIONS STABILIZED. AT THIS POINT I NOTICED THE GND CREW WAVING; BUT COULD NOT INTERPRET ANY CLEAR SIGNALS. FINALLY; I UNDERSTOOD THEIR INTENTION; BUT WAS NOT QUITE SURE WHAT ENG HAD THE PROB. ONE OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL CALLED GND CTL TO RPT A SMALL FUEL FIRE IN THE #2 ENG EXHAUST (POOLED FUEL). I IMMEDIATELY MOTORED THE #2 ENG FOR 20 SECS. I OPENED THE COCKPIT WINDOW AND TOLD THE GND CREW TO TOW THE ACFT BACK TO THE GATE. SINCE THE AIRSTAIRS WERE INOP. AFTER BRIEFING THE F/A'S THEY TOLD THE PAX TO DEPLANE AND WAIT IN THE BOARDING AREA. MAINT INSPECTED THE ACFT AND RETURNED IT TO SVC. THERE WAS A DEFINITE PROB IN COM DURING PUSHBACK W/O A HEADSET FOR THE GND CREW. THE HOT EXHAUST STACK FROM THE PREVIOUS MAINT RUN OF THE #2 ENG APPARENTLY IGNITED THE POOLED FUEL.