Andy Gilchrist, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said talks with local employers had been "constructive" but no cross-the-board pay offer is believed to have been tabled in response to a union claim for £30,000 a year.
The FBU executive will decide whether to go ahead with the first of four eight-day walkouts from 9am on Wednesday or re-enter discussions with fire authority councillors.
"The issues in our view are very evenly balanced," said Mr Gilchrist. "The strike at the moment remains on."
Yesterday's negotiations were overshadowed by the death of a fire fighter in a burning building. Bob Miller was killed early yesterday fighting a fire in the centre of Leicester. The firefighter, who had 26 years' service, is believed to have fallen through a floor of a disused hosiery factory. He leaves a wife and two sons, aged 17 and 14.
After a minute's silence, the employers attempted to break the deadlock by tabling proposals to resolve three of the four points central to the union's claim.
Council negotiators proposed linking future awards to average earnings, establishing parity between control officers and crews in a move worth £1,700-a-year to the telephone operators, and increasing by around £3.50 an hour the rate for part-time retained fire -fighters.
But the sticking point is still the union's demand for a 40% jump in the £21,531 salary of most workers after rejecting a 4% offer earlier this year.
Ministers are anxious to avoid the sight of service personnel driving ageing green goddess tenders on emergency calls. The Ministry of Defence yesterday admitting a quarter of its frigates and destroyers will be temporarily mothballed so mariners can fight fires.
Ted George, chairman of the fire employers, said he hoped the union would rejoin negotiations next Tuesday or Wednesday. "The employers will be ready to meet the FBU," said Mr George.
The union's leadership suspended two 48-hour strikes this week and is under pressure from some fire fighters to go ahead with the walkout from Wednesday to demon strate the strength of feeling among crews who voted nine to one in favour of the stoppages.
The 2,400 sailors are part of a force of up to 19,000 service personnel who would be deployed to answer emergency calls if the first of four eight-day strikes called by the Fire Brigades Union went ahead next Wednesday.
