A319
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 125; Flight Crew Total 2941; Flight Crew Type 2941
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Hazardous Material Violation; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
While level at FL360 received SMOKE FWD CARGO SMOKE ECAM. Advised ATC and asked for vectors to ZZZZ. I flew the aircraft and had the First Officer fight the fire. Communicated with and received assistance from ATC and Dispatch. Briefed the flight attendants using procedure. Descended; slowed and configured the aircraft for a normal landing at ZZZ. Stopped the aircraft on the runway and shutdown the #2 engine at which time the ARFF vehicles and personnel approached the aircraft for inspection. After communicating with ARFF the aircraft was taxied to the gate under its own power. Passengers were deplaned. The ARFF personnel showed me some of the items damaged by the fire that were retrieved from the forward cargo bin. The source of the fire appears to be from a lithium battery contained in a portable wireless speaker.
We were cruising at FL360 about 45 minutes into the flight when we got a Master Warning ECAM Smoke FWD Cargo. As the Pilot Monitoring I did the ECAM steps. We then determined the closest suitable airport was ZZZ which was 20 NM behind us. I advised ATC and asked for vectors to ZZZ which we were promptly given. We were given an initial descent to FL240 as ATC cleared aircraft below us. As the Captain initiated the descent I sent a message to Dispatch advising them of our condition and intentions. I then accessed ZZZ in the Jepp FD Pro app and loaded the approach in the FMGC. While we were descending to FL240 we got a TCAS TA due to an aircraft that was below us and was the reason we were restricted to FL240. I assume the TA was due to our closure rate with a rapid descent. We were both thankful it didn't result in an RA. After we cleared the conflict ATC gave us further descent. The Captain then handed control to me as he briefed the cabin crew with TEST. The smoke warning extinguished at some time during the descent and prior to landing but I don't remember exactly when. I recall seeing it was out which was a relief but it didn't change our goal of landing ASAP. After being transferred to ZZZ Approach we were given vectors to lose the remaining altitude since we were so close to the airport. After being cleared for the visual approach to ZZZ I announced to ATC our intentions to stop on the runway and not evacuate until CFR had an opportunity to verify with a thermal scanner we had no fire in the cargo compartment. The landing was normal and after stopping CFR approached the AC and verified the temperature of the cargo compartment was 140F which was indicative of no fire. We then taxied to the gate and the passengers were deplaned. During the event we were so time constrained I didn't make time to review the QRH which would have instructed us to deplane the passengers before the cargo compartment was opened. I neglected to do that and it was opened as soon as we parked at the gate. CFR unloaded the baggage for inspection and found a portable speaker with an overheated battery which had burned the bag it was stored in and several adjacent to it. After gate arrival a passenger was taken by the paramedics. I don't know his complaint.
A319 flight crew reported a small cargo fire that resulted in a diversion.