The Fire Brigades Union has suspended the first two national strikes due to start next week, officials said.
Union leaders said 48-hour strikes planned for next Tuesday and Saturday had been cancelled after last-minute meetings between the union's executive on Saturday.
"Our employers have agreed to meet next Wednesday and Thursday to discuss pay," Fire Brigades Union spokesman Geoff Ellis said. "The first two strikes are off."
The FBU said strikes planned from November 6 were still due to go ahead.
The union is pressing for a 40 percent pay rise for its members, but the government has turned it down, saying this would have huge ramifications for the entire public sector.
Instead, the government is calling on the FBU to take part in an independent review of the fire service which is due to report in mid-December.