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Fire Country is currently airing its third season and has gained popularity, not just among procedural fans but also a broader audience. Created by Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, and Max Thieriot, who also stars in the series, it premiered on CBS in October 2022 with a full 22-episode season, run by showrunner Tia Napolitano. The cast includes Kevin Alejandro, Jordan Calloway, Stephanie Arcila, Jules Latimer, Diane Ferr, and Billy Burke in key roles.
Favourable reviews from critics and audiences has prompted the creators to renew Fire Country through two more seasons. However, the series did get into a controversy with the actual Cal Fire department regarding "misrepresentation" of the inmate firefighter program.
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Currently on its third season, Fire Country is set to drop the fifth episode, Edgewater's About to Get Real Cozy, on November 15, 2024 on CBS at 9 pm ET/PT. With the season finale still some way off, we have curated a list of other titles that you can binge right now.
If you're a fan of Fire Country or enjoy watching emergency service procedurals, then these shows will be right up your alley.
Cal Fire, Third Watch and 5 other must-watch shows if you loved Fire Country
1) Cal Fire
Cal Fire is a reality documentary series from the house of Discovery Plus. Gregory Taylor and Shawn Newton produced the series alongside Valery Lyman, who was also the cinematographer for the project. The series arrived for streaming on Discovery+ in 2021 with six episodes, each over 40 minutes in duration.
Discovery deployed multiple specialised camera crews across the entire state of California, to accompany frontline firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in the 2020 wildfire season. It was announced to be the worst in the state's recent history, burning over 4.3 million acres of land.
The camera crews underwent intensive "Red Flag" training, alongside receiving special protective gear and fire-resistant helmet cameras to provide the audience with one of the most intense, eye-of-the-storm views of the destructive wildfires ravaging California.
Cal Fire is one of the best docuseries to add to the watchlist of those who love watching Fire Country for its firefighting drama.
2) Fire Chasers
Fire Chasers is a limited original documentary series from the house of Netflix. Julian T. Pinder directed the series with Thomas Backer and Tessa Treadway as producers, and Leonardo Di Caprio as the executive producer. Fire Chasers arrived on Netflix in 2017 with four episodes, each almost an hour long.
Similar to Cal Fire and Fire Country, Fire Chasers focuses on the 2016 California wildfire season, offering an in-depth look at firefighters' lives as they battle raging flames to protect lives and property. The series uses helmet camera footage to capture the chaos of the wildfires and also highlights how county and state agencies prepare for and prevent such disasters. It also features inmates training to become support staff for firefighting efforts.
Overall, Fire Chasers is a gripping watch for those interested in California's battle against wildfires and its peripherals.
3) Third Watch
Third Watch is a procedural drama series from the house of NBC. The series was created by Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells, both of whom executive produced the show alongside Christopher Chulack. The series premiered in September 1999 and aired six seasons before concluding in 2005.
The series had an extensive cast throughout its run, featuring Coby Bell, Skipp Sudduth, Jason Wiles, Molly Price, Anthony Ruivivar, and others in pivotal roles. The show received widespread acclaim from critics and audience, who praised the accuracy of its portrayal of first responders. Third Watch also featured interviews from real first responders who were at the site of 9/11 tragedy.
Set in 90s New York City, Third Watch follows a group of police officers, firefighters and paramedics from the NYPD and FDNY stationed in the fictional 55th precinct. It was the first show covering all three emergency services in the Big Apple together.
While Fire Country only looks at firefighting, Third Watch covers the entire lineup of first responders, making it a great addition to your watchlist.
4) Rescue Me
Rescue Me is a dark comedy drama series from the house of FX. Written and created by Denis Leary and Peter Tolam, the series premiered in 2004 and aired a total of seven seasons before concluding in 2011. In 2008, the show released 10 limited episodes, each around five minutes long, due to a writer's guild strike that year.
The cast of Rescue Me includes Denis Leary, Michael Lombardi, Daniel Sunjata, John Scurti, Andrea Roth, and Steven Pasquale in key roles. The series was praised for its portrayal of social stigmas and sensitive themes. Set in New York City, it follows Tommy Gavin, played by Leary, an emotionally unstable firefighter dealing with alcoholism, PTSD, and trauma from the September 11 attacks.
Similar to Fire Country, Rescue Me is a great watch for those trying to have a more intimate understanding of firefighters, especially the emotional baggage that comes as collateral with the job.
5) Tacoma FD
Tacoma FD is a sitcom series from the house of TruTV. The series was created by Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme, members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, both of whom also directed and starred in the series. The show premiered on TruTV in 2019 with a 10-episode season and went on to air three more seasons before getting cancelled in 2024.
The cast featured Marcus Henderson, Eugene Cordero, Gabriel Hogan, and Hassie Harrison alongside Heffernan and Lemme in pivotal roles. While the show was not the talk of the town, its juvenile humor alongside recurring gags picked up a niche and loyal audience base.
Unlike Fire Country and most other shows on this list, Tacoma FD is a more light hearted and comedy centric title revolving around firefighters. Set in one of America's wettest cities, Tacoma, Washington, the fire crew mostly respond to 'less destructive' emergencies.
It is a great option for fans of Fire Country, who aren't opposed to a more lighthearted watch compared to its intense drama.
6) 9-1-1
9-1-1 is a procedural drama series, originally from the house of Fox. Created by Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear and Ryan Murphy, the show premiered in 2018 and aired six seasons before being cancelled by Fox in 2023. The show has since moved to ABC and is currently airing its eighth season.
The series features an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Jenniffer Love Hewitt, Ryan Guzman and many others in pivotal roles. 9-1-1 has received critical praise and widespread love from the audience, especially for its stellar cast and gripping storytelling.
Set in the city of Los Angeles, the series follows a group of first responders as they balance their personal and professional lives to keep as many tragedies from happening. Similar to Third Watch, 9-1-1 also brings together the police, firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers to offer a more holistic understanding of emergency services.
7) Live Rescue
Live Rescue is a reality TV docuseries from the house of A&E. The show was initially presented by veteran journalist, Ashleigh Banfield, in the first season. Matt Iseman took over the role in the subsequent seasons.
Live Rescue premiered in 2019, originally with a 9 episode season. However, the immense positive feedback prompted the creators to add 10 additional episodes to the season. While the show has aired 2 more seasons since, it has gone into a hiatus since 2021.
Live Rescue was a spin-off title from Live PD, another reality series based on law enforcement. The show had camera crews on ride-alongs with the fire and rescue squads across the country, to accompany and document them as they put their lives on the line.
If you loved watching Fire Country, Live Rescue should be on your watchlist.
These are our top picks of documentary and drama shows based around the first responders and emergency services, just like Fire Country.
Currently amid its third season, Fire Country is set to air episode five on November 15, 2024, on CBS at 9 pm ET/PT.
