TROOPS could be sent through picket lines if firefighters go ahead with a planned eight-day stoppage, the Government warned yesterday.

In a dramatic escalation of its confrontation with the Fire Brigades Union (fbu), soldiers could be ordered to seize modern fire appliances to replace the ageing Green Goddesses being used by the armed forces during walkouts.

Three people have died in house fires since the start of the action at 6pm on Wednesday as troops have dealt with a stream of 999 calls.

Officials said the Government was "prepared to look at everything", including bans on future strikes by firefighters.

And Prime Minister Tony Blair indicated that he would be prepared to consider the use of civilian tenders if the FBU moved to a threatened series of eight-day stoppages.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "We are not ruling anything out. We are mindful of the need that, whatever happens, public safety is paramount.

"We recognise that a succession of eight-day strikes is different territory to a 48-hour strike."

The move was condemned by the FBU which said it would only further provoke firefighters.

Union leaders also warned it would be "potentially dangerous" to allow troops to drive civilian fire tenders because high levels of training, spread over four years, were needed to handle the high-tech equipment.

Steve Gregg, Northern regional organiser with the FBU, said: "There is nothing we could do to stop the Army taking engines and equipment. But it would certainly inflame the situation although the Government does not seem to care.

"Firefighters go through 16 weeks of training for the specialist equipment they use."

Green Goddess fire tenders, which were built in the 1950s, lack specialist cutting and breathing equipment, have no radio, and can only reach speeds of up to 35mph - half that of modern fire engines.

They could continue to be used in the early stages of the strike while soldiers who are on stand-by during the industrial action receive training in the use of modern equipment.

North-East Tory MEP Martin Callanan said it was time for the Government to seize the red fire engines. He said: "The authorities have been very patient so far but now it is time to get tough.

"They need to get the troops trained in the use of the modern equipment.

"It belongs to the taxpayer, not to the FBU, and we are talking about people's lives."

The FBU has so far rejected a proposed 11 per cent pay rise over two years and is continuing to hold out for 40 per cent.

The strike, the first national walkout for 25 years, will end at 6pm today but the first of a series of eight-day-long walkouts will start on November 22.

Downing Street also announced that 15 red fire engines had been transferred from the National Fire Training College and were being made available to troops at various locations around the country.

The Prime Minister's spokesman also confirmed that there were a further 100 red fire engines held in reserve.