Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) bleed was on MEL (Minimum Equipment List) so we had to start Number 1 engine at the gate. After engine start all parameters were normal with engine stabilized. The external air and electric were disconnected and jetway removed from aircraft. Shortly after ground crews notified us via intercom that engine was on fire followed by saying that continuous flames coming out of the back of engine. Engine was shut down immediately and QRH was performed. No cockpit indications of fire and ground crews confirmed no fire after shut down of engine. Fire Department were called only as caution and we asked jetway to be reconnected to the aircraft for normal deplane. Entry was made in AML (Maintenance Log) and Maintenance was notified. We never had any indication in the cockpit of fire. We treated the ground crews alert as an ongoing fire and took action based on that. Safety is always top priority and in this case our external resource being our ground personnel played an important role by alerting us of the possible fire.
Air Carrier pilot reported that when they started number one engine ground crew reported flames coming out of the engine but no indications of engine fire were received in the cockpit.