A firestorm is brewing in Victoria as the state's volunteer firefighters begin distancing themselves from the CFA.
A local volunteer brigade in Molyullah, in the state's northeast, has voted to explore options to leave the CFA and reform as an independent bushfire brigade.
It's understood there are a number of other brigades across the state that are likely to follow suit as the bitter dispute between firies and the Andrews government pushes on.
The Molyullah brigade met with shadow emergency services minister Brad Battin on Monday to discuss their future within the rural fire service and to voice their disdain for the state government.
The chief executive of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria, Andrew Ford, said he understands the anger volunteers are feeling but urged them to stay with the CFA.
"They absolutely don't appreciate the betrayal they're seeing, and they can see the thuggery playing out and that is making them question what they're doing," Mr Ford told 3AW.
"But what I say to the volunteers is you must stay to protect your communities."
The CFA board, who were sacked on Friday night, issued a statement on Monday saying they were "deeply disappointed" by the government's decision to remove them.
"This Board remains prepared to continue negotiating with the UFU as we have attempted to do in the past week without response," the sacked CFA board said in a statement.
"Fair Work may have made recommendations, but the Fair Work process does not consider CFA's organisational legislation, nor its 97 per cent volunteer workforce."
The board thanked former emergency services minister Jane Garrett, who resigned last week after refusing to vote for the government's proposed workplace agreement.
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