Tas firies to rally over funding shortfall

Tasmania's firefighters union says the state's fire service can't take another funding hit after the devastating Dunally bushfires.

The Tasmania Fire Service is financially strained after being given responsibility for the SES, without any extra funding, United Firefighters Union state secretary Greg Cooper said.

"The fire service has had to slash its order for essential new fire trucks, while vital protective equipment for volunteer and career firefighters is being stored in boxes because of funding delays to equip fire stations," he said.

While the state government agreed on Monday to provide a further $1.5 million, unions are still claiming a shortfall of more than $4 million and in response will stage a rally in Hobart on Wednesday.

"It's as though the government has forgotten the lessons of early 2013 when we suffered massive losses in the Dunalley-Forcett fires," Mr Cooper said.

While there was no loss of human lives in the raging fires east of Hobart, several homes were lost and some people had to take refuge offshore while the blaze passed.