PA-44 Seminole/Turbo Seminole
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 1627; Flight Crew Type 170
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Aircraft
During employee retraining flight; we initiated left engine hot start checklist; after two attempts engine not starting; we started the right engine in order to preserve battery and letting the left engine cool down. We tried again after a little bit of priming and still did not work; so we conducted flooded start checklist.  That is when I noticed smoke coming out of cowl and cowl flaps area; I then decided to shut down the right engine; directed pilot to get out of the aircraft.  On my way out; I changed fuel selector to off position and took the fire extinguisher just in case.  I directed pilot to inform Operations as well as ZZZ airport authority.  After we got out of the aircraft; I continued to observe smoke then small amount of flame coming out of the left cowl flap area.  I deployed the fire extinguisher into the cowl flap as well as the air inlet area.
Flight Instructor flying PA-44 Aircraft encountered engine fire during engine start.