Firefighters have voted to walk out on a national strike.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has confirmed its 50,000 members voted nine to one in favour of action.
The first walkout will begin at 0900 BST on 29 October and end at 0900 BST on 31 October.
Firefighters are demanding a 40% pay rise, which would see salaries for fully qualified staff rise to about £30,000.
I believe the firefighters should not go on strike, as do the public
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott
Their local authority employers have rejected the demand and are offering a 4% increase as part of an interim deal.
The UK Government set up an independent review to come up with proposals for improving the pay and conditions of firefighters. However, it is not scheduled to report until December.
The FBU must give seven days' notice of any strike action.
Impact on sport and travel
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Knock-on affect
The army is on stand-by to step in.
Strikes could last up to eight days and could have a knock-on affect on tube services in London.
Firefighters want a 40% pay rise
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and local authority employers have made last-minute pleas for the FBU to postpone strike action and to wait for the independent review report.
Mr Prescott warned that a walkout would put lives in danger and he called on firefighters to think again.
"A national fire strike would be dangerous and damaging," he said.
"We will put troops in to provide emergency cover but it will not be a replacement service.
"I believe the firefighters should not go on strike, as do the public."
Andy Gilchrist, the FBU's general secretary attacked the deputy prime minister's position.
"John Prescott's comments are astonishing. He led the rush by cabinet ministers only last year to vote themselves a 40% rise.
"We have been placed in an appalling position. All the government has to do is start genuine pay talks. It is that simple."
'Risk to life'
Sir Jeremy Beecham, chairman of the Local Government Association, which represents the firefighters' employers, had urged the unions to wait for the results of the review.
Before the ballot outcome was announced, he told the BBC: "It cannot be claimed that the military will always be able to cope.
"There really must be a serious risk to life and to property if this unnecessary strike goes forward and that's why we are urging the union to wait just eight weeks and see the outcome of the review.
"If they're still not satisfied, they still have an option of going ahead with the dispute, but we have guaranteed that we would meet the claim if approved by the review body and back-date it to the beginning of November, which is the relevant date."
Local authority employers said they were "incredulous" that the union has voted to strike now, rather than wait for the outcome of the review.
The employers said that if the FBU's pay demand was repeated across the public sector, the basic rate of income tax would have to rise by 20%, or 3.9p in the pound.
Ted George, chairman of the local authority employers, said the pay claim was "unrealistic, unaffordable, unreasonable and unjustified".
