Tony Blair will today convene a special meeting of his crisis cabinet ahead of the first fire strike next week.

The prime minister will call together senior ministers who form the COBRA unit in a bid to put in place a strategy to deal with the first fire strike for over 25 years.

The meeting, which will take place in the Downing Street situation room, is evidence of the government's growing sense of unease over looming industrial action.

Fire fighters will lead the first walkout on October 29 - with strikes lasting up to eight days scheduled in the run up to Christmas.

Britain's biggest rail union, the RMT, has indicated that concerns over safety could prevent its members working on the days the fire fighters are out on strike.

Rail unions meet on Wednesday to determine their response to the fire strike.

The Times reports that today's meeting of COBRA ministers underlines Number 10's desire to "crush the firemen's strike".

In an interview with today's Guardian, Andy Gilchrist, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said that he sees the dispute as entirely a matter between the union and the government.