Incarcerated Volunteers Join Firefighters to Protect Small-Town Drama in New CBS Series

The new CBS drama Fire Country, which premiered in October 2022, follows a group of firefighters who defend a small Northern California town from the threat of devastating wildfires. Inspired by the real-life Cal Fire (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) program, the show features a mix of professional and incarcerated volunteer firefighters who risk their lives to protect their community while also earning a shot at redemption.

Although the series is set in the Golden State, the production primarily takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Co-creator and star Max Thieriot, who grew up in a small town similar to the show's fictional Edgewater, California, says the Canadian filming location isn't that different from the show's setting. "Canada goes through more than their fair share of fires," Thieriot noted in a May 2024 interview, adding that some of the real firefighters working on the show are from Canada and the experience has "been wonderful."

In addition to the Vancouver-area filming, the show's production team has included a few scenic shots of Rio Dell, a city in Humboldt County, California, to capture the essence of Northern California's wildfire-prone regions. Thieriot's own small-town upbringing in Occidental, California, also served as inspiration for the series.