Fire Country is returning for Season 5, with CBS renewing Max Thieriot’s action drama series for another installment. The series continues to be a success for the network in ratings and viewership, averaging around 8 million viewers per episode across live broadcast and multi-platform viewing throughout its run, including its current installment, Fire Country Season 4.
The premiere of Fire Country Season 4 drew over 4 million live viewers across broadcast and streaming platforms, a notable feat for a Friday-night drama in a competitive environment. The current season has also secured a spot in the Top 10 rankings on Paramount+, maintaining solid viewership that is key to securing another season.
What Happened in Fire Country Season 4?
Images from Fire Country Season 4Image via CBS
Fire Country Season 4 is building on the massive emotional and narrative shifts set in motion by the Season 3 finale. The fourth installment opens with the death of Vince Leone (Billy Burke), father to Thieriot’s leading Bode Leone character, who was trapped inside a care facility engulfed in the massive Zebel Ridge Fire’s flames in Season 3’s finale cliffhanger.
Gabriela Perez (Stephanie Arcila), another recurring character close to Bode, is also missing from Fire Country Season 4, having departed between seasons. The absences usher in leadership changes and personal reckonings that drive new stories, with Bode committing himself to protecting the town and honoring his father’s legacy while delivering a eulogy at Vince’s funeral.
Vince’s loss also impacts Bode’s mother, Sharon (Diane Farr), and the entire Station 42 crew. The development leaves things unsettled, with rising tensions over who will take command and whether the station should stay active. The grief fuels new drama for Fire Country’s characters. However, Bode is finally a full-fledged Cal Fire firefighter, a change of pace from previous seasons.
Grief and change are at the center of Fire Country Season 4, as Bode’s journey evolves to handle the responsibility of his legacy and leadership. Then, in Fire Country Season 4’s midseason finale, Station 42 responds to a massive wildfire outside their jurisdiction, a risky decision that leaves several cliffhangers to resolve when the show returns from its winter hiatus.
Who Stars in CBS’s Fire Country?
Images from Fire Country Season 4Image via CBS
Fire Country revolves around Bode Leone, played by Max Thieriot of SEAL Team, who also co-created the series. The protagonist begins as an inmate firefighter seeking redemption in the Cal Fire inmate program, which gives him a new start in his hometown and initially places him on Manuel “Manny” Perez’s (Kevin Alejandro) crew, who has new responsibilities in Season 4.
Other key characters in the series are Jake Crawford and Eve Edwards, played by Jordan Calloway and Jules Latimer, respectively. The Cal Fire firefighters are best friends and become close to Bode after reconciling their differences in Season 1. That said, another member of their crew, Gabriela, played by Stephanie Arcila, has exited the series ahead of Season 4.
While Billy Burke has exited the series as Vince Leone, Bode’s mother, Sharon, played by Diane Farr, remains an important player in Fire Country Season 4. Leven Rambin also returns as Audrey James, a former inmate who has romantic tension with Bode. Season 4 also introduces Shawn Hatosy as Brett Richards, the new Station 42 battalion chief, shaking things up.
When Does Fire Country Season 5 Premiere?
CBS has slated Fire Country Season 5 for its 2026-2027 schedule, with the series set to return in the fall after Season 4 ends in the spring. Fire Country was renewed with a handful of other CBS properties, including shows like Tracker, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Elsbeth, NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, and Fire Country’s spinoff, Sheriff Country.
CBS hasn’t released specific details about Fire Country Season 5’s release, but the series will likely stay in its weekend timeslot. The drama has regularly aired on Friday at 9 pm Eastern throughout all four seasons. Moreover, if the network follows previous premiere patterns established over the last couple of years, Fire Country Season 5 could premiere in mid-October.
Release Date
October 7, 2022
Showrunner
Tia Napolitano
Directors
Bill Purple, Dermott Downs, Eagle Egilsson, Gonzalo Amat, Kevin Alejandro, Max Thieriot, Sarah Wayne Callies, Marie Jamora, Kantu Lentz, Antonio Negret, Laura Nisbet Peters, Lisa Demaine, Nicole Rubio, James Strong, Anton Cropper, Erica A. Watson, Joy T. Lane, Jacquie Gould, Chi-Yoon Chung
Writers
Tia Napolitano, David Gould, Natalia Fernandez, Barbara Kaye Friend, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Dwain Worrell, Julia Fontana, Sara Casey, Manuel Herrera, Jen Klein, Anupam Nigam, Tonya Kong
