Australian soldiers who had recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been deployed to help the bushfire response in New South Wales and Victoria.

Key points: Most of the Brisbane-based soldiers are serving full-time

Most of the Brisbane-based soldiers are serving full-time Many were recently deployed overseas

Many were recently deployed overseas They bring extra engineering and logistic skills to the fire fight

Hundreds of soldiers are leaving the Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane this morning to help out fire authorities in those states.

The 400 troops are part of the 7th Combat Brigade, mostly made up of full-time professional soldiers.

Their deployment to fire grounds comes days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised to deploy 3,000 Australian Defence Force reservists to help with bushfire recovery.

Brigadier Andrew Hocking said about 70 vehicles, including armoured cars, personnel carriers and bulldozers, are also being sent south.

Soldiers and heavy vehicles are being sent south to join the bushfire fight. ( ABC News: Stefan Lowe )

"They will be doing whatever the state authorities request them to do," he said.

"Many of the soldiers that are deploying this morning have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Philippines and other parts of the world over the past 12 months."

Brigadier Andrew Hocking said most of the soldiers served full-time in the Army. ( ABC News: Stefan Lowe )

Brigadier Hocking said the troops would provide engineering and logistics support to local fire authorities.

"We have called them back from all parts of the world.

"Principally they will have logistic and engineering capabilities, but equally just manpower, to roll up our sleeves and stand beside the emergency services and state authorities to help out the people of New South Wales and Victoria."

The Rural Fire Service confirmed 1,588 homes have been destroyed in NSW this fire season and a total of 653 homes have been damaged.

In Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews said at least 200 homes had been destroyed.

Milder conditions are providing a short reprieve for exhausted firefighters in NSW and Victoria today ahead of dangerous bushfire weather forecast again on Friday.

Compensation for SES volunteers

The Queensland Government said the Commonwealth has now agreed to compensate State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers for significant loss of income over the bushfires.

The Federal Government had already announced it would pay rural firefighters up to $300 per day once they had lost more than 10 days of paid work in the financial year.

Payments start from the 11th day of work lost in this financial year, capped at $6,000 per volunteer.

A spokesman for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said an agreement had been struck for the Federal Government to pay SES volunteers in the same way.

The spokesman said the agreement would extend to SES volunteers in other states and territories involved in the fire fight.

"These are extraordinary circumstances," the spokesman said.

The payments apply to people who are self-employed or working in small businesses with a turnover less than $50 million.