Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor; Ground Event / Encounter FOD
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
During gear retraction we smelled a strong burning rubber smell and then heard one or two bangs.  I saw no abnormal engine indications and suspected that one of the tires had exploded in the wheel well.  We declared an emergency and began to burn down to a normal landing weight.  We did one tower fly by with no positive result.  Flight attendants did a planned evacuation brief as a precaution and passengers were told that the plan was to do a normal landing and egress via the aft airstairs.  A deadheading crewmember [from another airline] further back in the fuselage said he believed it was left tire damage and he was correct.  We did an uneventful unpressurized landing.  Landing by the copilot was flawless. Post flight inspection revealed loss of tread on a left tire; flap damage and evidence of tire debris ingestion on the left engine.
The Captain was concerned about taxiing or being towed due to possible explosive failure of the left tires. The Captain decided to use the aft cabin stairs to administratively remove the passengers; on the closed runway as the safest option. The passengers boarded the buses uneventfully and carefully.
MD-82 flight crew reports they were alerted to a tire failure on takeoff by several loud bangs and a burning rubber smell. They declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport.