The "gravely ill" boss of Melbourne's fire department has resigned, joining a growing list of fire service leaders who've quit or been sacked during a long-running pay battle.
MFB chief officer Peter Rau has resigned due to an illness directly related to his 30 years as a firefighter.
Mr Rau has been in charge for more than two years and will officially finish his term on October 6.
"As many of you know Peter has been on sick leave for some time and he has taken the advice of his doctors to focus on his health," MFB chief executive Jim Higgins said in a statement to staff on Friday.
Acting Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said Mr Rau was "gravely ill".
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"It is an illness that people believe is related to his time as a firefighter," Ms Neville told reporters.
"He has been absolutely stalwart when it comes to fire services - his experience, his skills, his knowledge. It's going to be hard to replace those."
Acting MFB chief officer Paul Stacchino will stay in the role until a permanent replacement is found.
Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said Mr Rau had an "incredible record of commitment" to keeping Victorians safe.
Mr Rau waded into Victoria's controversial firefighters' pay deal negotiations in June, warning the government that subjecting the MFB to a similar enterprise bargaining agreement as that proposed for the CFA would put lives at risk.
"The provisions of the proposed agreement .... will serve to inhibit the brigade taking actions which may be critical to the safety of the community," he wrote in a letter to Emergency Services Minister James Merlino.
In August, Mr Merlino called Mr Rau "alarmist, irresponsible and reckless" for his comments.
Mr Merlino sacked the CFA board for opposing the proposed deal - which the replacement board endorsed - but volunteers are challenging the agreement in the Victorian Supreme Court.
After Mr Rau expressed his concerns, Premier Daniel Andrews said questions about whether further fire bosses could be sacked were "ridiculous".
But it took a day for the premier to state in early August that the MFB chief officer did indeed have his "full support".
The long-running firefighters saga has previously seen the resignations of former emergency services minister Jane Garrett, CFA chief executive Lucinda Nolan and CFA chief officer Joe Buffone.
