Fire Country Season 5 Hit With Reduced Episode Count

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Fire Country season 5 is being reduced to cinders.

As a big fan of dramas, I’ve been really enjoying Fire Country on CBS. It started in 2022 and follows Bode Donovan, played by Max Thieriot, a guy who becomes a firefighter in his hometown of Northern California after being in prison – it’s a cool program where inmates can help fight wildfires. The show also has a great cast including Kevin Alejandro, Jordan Calloway, Jules Latimer, and Diane Farr. It actually started out as the most-watched new series that first season! Ratings dipped a little in season two, but season three saw a big jump in viewers. Right now, season four is still airing, and we only have three episodes left – the finale is on May 22nd, so I’m definitely tuning in!

CBS has moved Fire Country back to its original time slot on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m., airing between Sheriff Country at 8:00 p.m. and Boston Blue at 10:00 p.m. However, according to Deadline, the fifth season will be shorter, with only 13 episodes. This is the fewest episodes in any regular season of the show, which initially had 22 episodes, followed by a shortened 10-episode season during the strikes, and then two seasons with 20 episodes each. It’s currently unknown what show will take its place when Fire Country finishes its midseason run.

CBS has shortened the upcoming seasons of several shows. Fire Country isn’t the only one – NCIS: Origins season 3 will have just 10 episodes, down from 18 in season 2. NCIS: Sydney season 4 is also getting a shorter run of 10 episodes (compared to 20 in season 3) and will switch places with NCIS: Origins on the schedule midseason, airing Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. The legal drama Matlock season 3 will consist of 13 episodes, continuing a pattern of decreasing episode counts – season 2 had 16, and season 1 had 19.

Whether the shorter season will affect the show’s future is still unknown. According to Deadline, Fire Country season 4 is being trimmed because the network has a lot of new and returning scripted shows planned for the 2026-2027 season. Besides the shows airing on Thursdays and the one with a reduced order, this includes NCIS, Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, and new series like NCIS: New York, Einstein, Eternally Yours, and Cupertino.

With so many shows competing for viewers, it’s hard to say whether the new spinoff, Sheriff Country, is actually benefiting the original series. Sheriff Country is off to a good start, currently ranking as the fifth most-watched broadcast series overall and the second highest-rated new show, just behind Boston Blue. This shows there’s still a lot of interest in this world, but the spinoff might be overshadowing the show it came from.

The show’s main series may be facing difficulties due to internal changes. Several cast members have left, including Billy Burke at the end of season 3 and Stephanie Arcila at the start of season 4. The showrunner, Tia Napolitano, is also leaving after season 4. These changes create uncertainty about the show’s direction, and if ratings don’t increase, season 5 might be its last.

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2026-05-02 17:30