The threat of a new FBU strike next month has already forced the Ministry of Defence to draft in a hard-pressed military to drive fire engines.
Christina Jebb, chair of the National Fire Employers and a Liberal Democrat member of Staffordshire county council, claimed that the government had a wider agenda to either nationalise or regionalise fire authorities, so that local councils lose control.
She said she had been sacked for telling the truth, including a BBC World at One interview at which she had revealed she had voted to accept a provisional deal at a Local Government Association meeting on Monday. She insisted that they did not want a settlement: "It is totally irresponsible because there was a deal ready to be agreed on the table," she told BBC News 24.
Ms Jebb claimed the meeting had been packed by political figures inside the LGA. She claimed many of them were not up to speed with the negotiations.
The LGA denied her claims, saying she had failed to reflect the views of the employers' representatives and had "stood down". She had lost the confidence of her colleagues, including those from all four political parties.
The FBU said the LGA's handling of the issue was creating a growing revolt from fire authorities. More than 20 authorities in England - more than enough to force a meeting - have called for a crisis meeting of the LGA's fire forum, which is made up of the chairs of fire authorities and chief fire officers, in the aftermath of Monday's talks.
The FBU claimed: "Nine out of the 13 councillors who voted against the deal were unknown to many of the fire service negotiators. Several of them had been drafted in from London, most of them Labour. The LGA is reaping the whirlwind of the decision to block the deal and the methods used. There is clearly a growing backlash."
The chaos makes it more likely that members of the FBU will next week vote to support a strike in a ballot. The employers insisted the only remaining issue between them and union leaders was the status of bank holidays.
Firefighters would have received a 3.5% pay rise outstanding since last November and a second 4.2% rise, which was due to be enforced on July 1 dependent on changes to modernise the service.
The LGA remains adamant that the final part of stage two of the pay deal agreed for fire fighters - a 3.5% pay rise backdated to November 2003 - will be signed off as soon as the FBU agree that public holidays should be treated as normal working days.
"Firefighters receive double-time pay and a day off in lieu for every public holiday worked and the LGA's position states that it is reasonable to therefore expect firefighters to work normally on such days."
The government confirmed that the armed forces will begin training in preparation for industrial action by firefighters, which could start as early as September 7.
