Jet/Long Ranger/206
Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 31; Flight Crew Total 6742; Flight Crew Type 2341
Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
I was returning to ZZZ from ZZZ1 thru ZZZ2 airspace when my baggage door open light lit.I made a call to ZZZ2 tower as I was in their airspace. I informed them of the light and I would be making a precautionary landing to check it out. I circled park twice and seeing no one in the park I landed. I locked the controls. I got out of the helicopter and walked around the front to the rear left baggage compartment. I opened it up and witnessed a smoking lithium flashlight smoking and in a melted state. It was lying on a microfiber cleaning cloth. I grabbed another cloth and pushed the flashlight out of the compartment onto the ground. Upon hitting the ground the dry grass caught fire in a small area. I took a foil sun window screen from the same baggage and hit the burning grass a few times until it stopped burning. A man from one of the many surrounding houses ran up and handed me two bottles of water to make sure the grass was completely out. I didn't see any police or fire trucks at this point. I did see many people from the surrounding houses starting to walk towards the helicopter. They were coming from all directions. I was worried that someone would walk into the tail rotor blades so I jumped back in the helicopter and took off back to ZZZ. I called ZZZ2 tower again and informed them all was ok and I was returning to ZZZ1 and would make the appropriate calls upon arrival. I called ZZZ2 tower; FAA; ZZZ1 Tower and the Police Department.
Bell 206b Helicopter Pilot reported a precautionary landing due to EICAS Baggage Door  annunciation. After discarding a smoking lithium flashlight flight completed an uneventful destination landing.