Members of the Fire Brigades Union across the country left their picket lines at 9am today after being on strike for 24 hours, the 11th day of action since the bitter dispute broke out last year.
About 19,000 troops provided emergency cover during the strike, but many were not called out to incidents because there were fewer fires than expected.
The Fire Brigades Union said today that the strike had been "100% solid", but expressed hope that fresh talks could begin tomorrow at the conciliation service Acas.
The FBU general secretary, Andy Gilchrist, joined firefighters at Richmond, west London, as the strike came to a close.
He has written to Acas chairwoman Rita Donaghy expressing hope that talks can restart "sooner rather than later".
An FBU official said as the strike ended today: "Our members remain absolutely determined to get professional pay for the service they provide.
"We are hopeful that talks can be held this week, but they will only happen if the employers drop pre-conditions.
"Our members don't want to be on strike - it is always a last resort."
Firefighters are due to walk out again, for 48 hours, from next Tuesday and again on February 1 if the deadlock is not broken.
