The CBS firefighters are returning to work, and Season 5 of Fire Country is adding a fresh voice at Station 42. The show comes back on Friday, October 9, 2026, with 13 episodes, a new showrunner, and a newcomer stepping into the role of series regular.
What Happened at the End of Season 4
The Season 4 finale of Fire Country brought the Pineville Dam down, unleashing a devastating flood upon Edgewater. Bode (Max Thieriot) and Jake (Jordan Calloway) teamed up to save Danny; Jake and Violet (Nesta Cooper) became husband and wife; and Bode declared his love for Chloe (Alona Tal).
The Renewal and the New Showrunner
In January 2026, CBS renewed Fire Country for Season 5. The new season is shorter than the last, with 13 episodes compared to Season 4’s 20-episode run. The show has also changed hands: Eric Guggenheim steps in as showrunner after Tia Napolitano led the series through its first four seasons. That handoff represents a notable turn for the series.
Olivia Thirlby Joins as the First New Regular Since 2022
In June, Deadline reported that Olivia Thirlby would join Fire Country as the show’s first new series regular since its premiere in 2022. Thirlby is known for roles in Oppenheimer, Juno, Wonder Man, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Cecilia Jade “CJ” Ryan is the character she portrays, a decorated urban firefighter who left her city station behind and spent six months on the road before arriving in Edgewater. Though CJ lacks experience with wildland fires, Bode thinks she could prove useful at Station 42.
Premiere Date and Streaming Details
CBS will air the premiere of Fire Country Season 5 on Friday, October 9, 2026, with streaming support from Paramount+. The series resumes its customary Friday-night time slot of 9 p.m. ET/PT, following Sheriff Country, which airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and preceding Boston Blue, which starts at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Later in the season, viewers can expect another crossover between Fire Country and Sheriff Country. The two series will come back together for a two-hour crossover event on Friday, November 6, starting with Sheriff Country at 8 p.m. ET/PT before moving into Fire Country at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
| Detail | Season 4 | Season 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Episodes | 20 | 13 |
| Showrunner | Tia Napolitano | Eric Guggenheim |
| New cast regular | None | Olivia Thirlby as CJ Ryan |
How to Watch Fire Country Season 5
CBS airs new episodes live for Paramount+ Premium subscribers, who can watch them as they appear on the network. Subscribers holding the Essential or Premium plan instead stream those same episodes on demand the next day. Both plans come with Seasons 1 through 4 of Fire Country, which means viewers can get caught up ahead of Season 5’s premiere.
Paramount+ comes with two subscription plans to choose from. At the moment, a seven-day free trial is available on the Premium plan for anyone just getting started.
The Essential plan usually runs $8.99/month with ads, whereas the Premium plan removes ads and adds Showtime titles along with live CBS for a price of $13.99/month. The first two seasons of Fire Country can be streamed on Netflix.
What to Expect From the New Season
During the Season 5 premiere, “Founders’ Day,” a massive sinkhole forms under Main Street during the town’s annual Founders’ Day festival, trapping several residents and sending Station 42 on yet another major rescue mission. At the same time, CJ Ryan arrives in Edgewater.
TV Insider reports Thieriot said this is a “big season for Bode,” as he searches for his own identity and tries to become somebody the community can depend on. The character is still dealing with the results of the flood and is still working out what kind of firefighter he wants to be.
A multi-episode storyline focused on a single character was teased by Thieriot for later in the season, with a “dangerous” arc set to play out across several episodes.
Thirlby’s arrival introduces a fresh viewpoint at the station. Wildland firefighting differs from urban work, and adding a character who embodies that distinction could give the show’s world more depth.
The show’s opening four seasons have laid out its people and its world, and Season 5 gives the series room to expand on what it has already built.
Source material: “Everything To Know About ‘Fire Country’ Season 5,” Decider.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.