Celia Balfour said her husband, David Balfour, 47, loved the fire brigade and the fire brigade family with whom he worked for 11 years.

"David served with distinction in the January 2003 Canberra fire disaster and felt that his deployment to Victoria was repaying a debt of honour to those who had come to our community's aid after our experience with tragedy," Ms Balfour said in a statement.

"The family and I are accepting of the fact that he was doing the best job he could to give back to the community for his fortunate life."

Ms Balfour said her husband, to whom she was married for 20 years, was her soul mate and anchor.

"He gave us direction as a family and he was very easygoing with simple needs. A good cup of Earl Grey tea, mostly."

David is survived by Celia and their three children aged 14, 13 and 10.

Earlier, Firefighters Union National Secretary Peter Marshall praised Mr Balfour for his ten years service.

"He was a strong advocate for the reform of the ACT Fire Brigade, which has lead to increased community safety. It is extremely sad that a person with such a strong record in promoting community safety has paid the ultimate price for its protection," Mr Marshall said.

The union has called for all members to observe a minute's silence to mourn Mr Balfour's passing.

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said that Mr Balfour died while carrying out the creed of his profession - risking his own safety to protect others.

"In the case of last night's tragedy ... this risk was taken not for the firefighter's own town and his own community, but for towns and communities hundreds of kilometres distant," Mr Stanhope said in a statement.

"That, in itself, is a mark of the genuine bravery and selflessness of all of those Canberrans who have joined the battle against the Victorian fires."

Mr Stanhope offered the condolences of the ACT government and community to Mr Balfour's family, friends and colleagues.

None of the local firefighters had assumed that because the fires were beyond the ACT's borders they had nothing to do with Canberrans, Mr Stanhope said.

"The instinct of the men and women who have joined the Canberra contingent at the Victorian fire fronts was to pitch in, to lend a hand, to exert their professionalism for the benefit of others."

Mr Balfour was killed about 7pm last night while working in Cambarville, about 20km east of fire-ravaged Marysville.

The firefighter's death had shocked his colleagues in the Australian Capital Territory's fire service, ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Gregor Manson said.

Mr Manson said the man was part of a crew of long-term firefighters.

"That's why I think it's even more extraordinary that such an accident occurs to people who are professionally oriented," he told ABC Radio.

Some of his crew would return to Canberra today, Mr Manson said.

"Other members of that crew have decided ... they wish to continue the deployment to Victoria."

ACT Emergency Services Minister Simon Corbell said Victorian police and the state coroner would oversee investigations into the firefighter's death.

The ACT Fire Brigade was likely to review its mechanisms as well, he said.

Country Fire Authority chief officer Russell Rees said all in the fire service mourned for their fallen ACT colleague.

"We mourn the death of a firefighter from the ACT as if he is one of our own," he said.

"Having been through circumstances like this, we know how these people feel."

Department of Sustainability and Environment chief officer Ewan Waller said the ACT crews that arrived in Victoria this morning were given the choice of going home.

Mr Waller said some decided to turn around but most continued with their journey.

Greg Pargeter from the United Firefighters Union told ABC radio that the ACT office would help the man's family.

"He was down assisting the firefighting effort ... and unfortunately he's paid the ultimate price," he said.

"The firefighting community is in mourning over this brave firefighter's loss."

- with Lindsay Murdoch and AAP