Wiltshire fire stations that were threatened with closure could be saved following a U-turn by the fire service.
Six of the eight stations earmarked for closure in Dorset and Wiltshire have been thrown a lifeline under new proposals from the Chief Fire Officer.
Two fire stations - one in Wiltshire, and one in Dorset - will merge with neighbours.
It means the fire stations at Bradford on Avon, Ramsbury, and Mere could be saved - although the final decision rests not with the fire service itself, but with the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Authority, which is made up of councillors from Swindon, Wiltshire, Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole councils.
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Chief fire officer Andy Cole confirmed on Friday, June 5, that he had "positive discussions" with the Government over "future council tax flexibility for ongoing funding stability."
"As I have always said, if our financial position changes, my professional advice to the Fire & Rescue Authority would change," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
"I am now in a position to change that advice."
He said his new advice to the fire authority is to merge Wilton fire station with Salisbury, and Hamsworthy fire station with Poole - both for a trial 10-month period.
The six remaining stations included within the consultation proposals will "remain operational and become part of a wider Service Modernisation Programme."
“This recommendation seeks to avoid compulsory redundancies and retain frontline operational resources," said CFO Cole.
"Since I took the role of chief fire officer, I have been keen to modernise and create a fire and rescue service fit for the second half of the 21st century, because we must continue to adapt if we are to remain financially sustainable and operationally effective.
"The Government has also been clear that additional financial flexibility must be accompanied by a credible programme of modernisation."
MP Brian Mathew, who had been campaigning to keep Bradford on Avon Fire Station open, welcomed the news saying: "This is fantastic news for Bradford on Avon and the surrounding villages.
"From day one, I have been clear that this fire station should remain open and that the case for closure simply did not stack up."
"The firefighters based here do an outstanding job protecting our communities.
"Throughout this campaign they have demonstrated incredible professionalism, continuing to respond to emergencies while also making the case for why their station matters."
The Fire Brigades Union said in a statement: "The FBU remains clear that a cut to one is a cut to all, whilst it is a positive step.
"We remain vigilant in protecting the working conditions and safety of Firefighters in Dorset and Wiltshire."
A final decision will be made by the fire authority on June 30.
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