Fire Country is going through a massive change when it returns for season 5.
The CBS drama received a 13-episode order, which is down from its usual 20 episodes. It is joining NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney — and Matlock — as shows with a reduced episode order. Deadline reported that the change comes after the network expanded its scripted roster for the fall 2026 TV season.
Fire Country, which premiered in 2022, follows inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) as he attempts to shorten his prison sentence by volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. By the third season, Bode is out of prison and determined to prove himself at Cal Fire.
The hit series previously went through a shakeup when news broke in April 2025 that budget cuts led to Billy Burke and Stephanie Arcila‘s exits. (Burke has yet to address his departure.)
“I had no idea ever. But at the same time, I know that this is the nature of the industry that I’m in, and I have accepted the flow of release and acceptance throughout my journey and knowing that when one door closes, another one always opens,” Arcila exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2025. “We have this beautiful eternal door of revolving desires in what we love in life. I believe that if we put resistance towards that, sometimes it stops us from fulfilling other things that we love.”
Showrunner Tia Napolitano, meanwhile, defended the decision.
“It’s a fire show. Anyone can go at any time,” she told Us in October 2025. “But in terms of losing people, we’re also adding some really fun guest cast. It’s a revolving door of people from Sharon’s past and new faces that are exciting to bring conflict and secrets and twists and turns.”
Napolitano teased how the show will have to balance “really spicing it up” while still walking a “fine line” of paying tribute to the loss.
“What we’ve done is really thread the needle of honoring — especially Vince — because Gabriella is gone, but she’s gone to a happy and successful life. She’s still out there. But we really walk this line of honoring Vince while also finding hope rather quickly,” she noted. “Looking forward, the theme of the season is rising from the ashes and recovery.”
Napolitano continued: “How do you recover from something like this? And we’re really going to see everybody rise to the occasion, in celebration of Vince, of his life and in honoring the sacrifice that he made.”
Napolitano has since exit the show and won’t be returning for season 5.
“I am beyond proud of the past four seasons of Fire Country,” she said in a January statement. “All of my gratitude to our cast, crew, writers, producers, fans, and of course CBS and CBS Studios. It’s been a beautiful ride!”
Fire Country returns to CBS on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes will be streaming the next day on Paramount+.
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