Fire Country is officially returning for Season 5, premiering Friday, Oct. 9, at 9 PM ET/PT. The new season airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+. CBS renewed the series in January 2026. Season 5 will consist of 13 episodes. Olivia Thirlby joins the cast as new firefighter CJ Ryan, and the show enters a new era under showrunner Eric Guggenheim.
The new season picks up after the catastrophic flood in the Fire Country Season 4 finale, and will include another crossover with Sheriff Country. To help you prepare for the show’s red-hot return, this guide covers the premiere, episode count, cast, story, promo, crossover, and tells viewers how to watch Fire Country.
SPOILER ALERT: Plot points from Fire Country Season 4 are mentioned below. So, like a good firefighter, be sure to consider the possible dangers before proceeding. Now read ahead – or stream any episode you’ve missed on Paramount+.
Key facts
- Premiere date: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
- Time: Fridays at 9 PM ET/PT
- Network: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+*
- Season: 5
- Episodes: 13
- Season premiere episode: “Founders’ Day”
- Showrunner: Eric Guggenheim
- Genre: Drama/procedural
- Release cadence: Weekly
*New episodes can be streamed live on Paramount+ as they air on CBS via the Paramount+ Premium plan, or they can be streamed on the day after they air via any Paramount+ plan.
Fire Country
Watch NowWhen does Season 5 premiere?
Fire Country Season 5 premieres Friday, Oct. 9, at 9 PM ET/PT. The show returns to its familiar Friday-night slot on CBS, following Sheriff Country Season 2 at 8 PM ET/PT, and preceding Boston Blue Season 2 at 10 PM ET/PT.
Season 5 consists of 13 episodes, making it shorter than Season 4’s 20-episode run. Episodes are expected to follow a weekly release schedule.
New episodes of Fire Country air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
What is Season 5 about?
WARNING: Season 4 spoilers below!
The finale of Fire Country Season 4 dealt with the catastrophic flooding caused by the Pineville Dam collapse. Bode and Jake rescued Danny, Jake and Violet got married, and Bode told Chloe he loved her. In the Season 5 premiere, a sinkhole opens up beneath Main Street during Edgewater’s Founders’ Day festival. Meanwhile, a new character arrives in Edgewater: CJ Ryan, played by Olivia Thirlby.
A sinkhole threatens Edgewater
Fire Country Season 5 opens with the premiere episode “Founders’ Day.” During Edgewater’s annual celebration, a catastrophic sinkhole opens beneath Main Street, trapping residents and sending Station 42 into another high-stakes rescue. The premiere also introduces a mysterious urban firefighter arriving in Edgewater.
Who is in the cast?
Returning cast members
The Fire Country Season 5 cast features these returning series stars:
- Max Thieriot as Bode Leone
- Kevin Alejandro as Manny Perez
- Diane Farr as Sharon Leone
- Jordan Calloway as Jake Crawford
- Jules Latimer as Eve Edwards
Olivia Thirlby joins as CJ Ryan
Olivia Thirlby is joining the cast of Fire Country Season 5 as series regular Cecilia Jade “CJ” Ryan. CJ is a decorated, quick-witted urban firefighter who left her city and has spent six months on the road before circumstances bring her to Edgewater. She doesn’t have experience fighting woodland fires, but Bode sees potential in her and believes she could contribute to Station 42. Thirlby is the show’s first new series regular since Fire Country premiered.
Where you’ve seen her: Oppenheimer, Juno, Wonder Man, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
What else is changing?
Eric Guggenheim takes over as Fire Country showrunner for Season 5, succeeding Tia Napolitano, who led the series through its first four seasons. Season 5 consists of 13 episodes. Filming began in June 2026 in the Vancouver area; cast members have since shared behind-the-scenes looks from production on social media.
Fire Country is inspired by series star and co-creator Max Thieriot’s experiences growing up in northern California fire country.
Is there a Season 5 trailer?
Yes. The official promo for Fire Country Season 5 has been released in advance of the Friday, Oct. 9, fall premiere. You can watch the trailer here. In this trailer, a sinkhole opens up beneath Main Street during Edgewater’s Founders’ Day festival, trapping residents and sending Station 42 to the rescue. The trailer also teases the arrival of Olivia Thirlby’s character, CJ.
When is the Sheriff Country crossover?
Fire Country and Sheriff Country reunite for a crossover event on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Sheriff Country begins the event at 8 PM ET/PT, with “No Way In,” followed by Fire Country at 9 PM ET/PT with “No Way Out.” The episodes will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
In this crossover, a dangerous prison break develops into a hostage crisis/manhunt, bringing Mickey Fox and her deputies together with Bode and Station 42. This is the franchise’s second crossover, following their first crossover event in April 2026 with Sheriff Country’s “The Finest” and Fire Country’s “The Bravest.”
How to watch Season 5
Fire Country Season 5 premieres Friday, Oct. 9, on CBS and Paramount+. New episodes stream live on Paramount+ as they air on CBS with a subscription to the the Paramount+ Premium plan, or on demand the day after they air with a subscription to any Paramount+ plan. Viewers on either the Paramount+ Premium plan or Paramount+ Essential plan can stream all episodes of Seasons 1–4 on Paramount+.
Watch Fire Country on Paramount+
Now is the perfect time to catch up on earlier seasons of Fire Country, before its Friday, Oct. 9, Season 5 premiere. All four prior seasons can be watched on demand on Paramount+.
FAQ
How many episodes are in Fire Country Season 5?
Fire Country Season 5 will have 13 episodes.
Who is the new firefighter in Season 5?
In Fire Country Season 5, Olivia Thirlby plays the new firefighter, Cecilia Jade “CJ” Ryan. CJ is a decorated urban firefighter who leaves her original station for mysterious reasons, ends up in Edgewater, and crosses paths with Bode. See the above “Who is in the cast?” section for more.
Is Fire Country Season 5 the final season?
There has been no announcement about Fire Country beyond Season 5.
Will Sheriff Country appear in Season 5?
Sheriff Country will cross over with Fire Country in episodes scheduled to premiere on Friday, Nov. 6. Characters from both shows will appear across this two-hour event.
