Best Firefighter TV Shows of All Time: ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘9-1-1: Lone Star,’ ‘Fire Country’ and More

Credit: NBC ; Justin Stephens / FOX ; Moviestore/Shutterstock ; Michael Courtney/CBS

Best Firefighter TV Shows of All Time: ‘Chicago Fire,’ ‘9-1-1: Lone Star,’ ‘Fire Country’ and More

It’s getting hot in here! When it comes to firefighter TV shows, there are plenty for fans to choose from — including Chicago Fire and 9-1-1. Dick Wolf has his pulse on the crime world — with shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and FBI — but Chicago Fire might be one of his most well-known series. The firefighter-based show premiered in 2012 and gave life to spinoffs Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. “The challenge always is that we reflect and we edify the self-sacrifice and the hard work that everyone who put themselves in the frontline are doing,” Kara Killmer, who plays paramedic Sylvia Brett on Chicago Fire, exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2021 of the series. “It takes such a special person and such a heart of service to choose to keep going out there every day and putting your life on your line or taking those risks.” Despite amassing a large audience season after season, the Firehouse 51 characters are never safe from being killed off or sent packing. Throughout the show’s more than 10-year run, fans have said goodbye to Leslie Shay (Lauren German) in the season 3 premiere and Brian “Otis” Zvonecek (Yuriy Sardarov) in season 8. Monica Raymund, who played Gabby Dawson, and Jesse Spencer, who played Lieutenant Matt Casey, exited the show as well, but were thankfully not killed off and have since made cameos on the series. “I think for Chicago Fire and PD, the cast worries [about their characters dying]. Med, it’s a little harder for the doctors to die, but it is definitely something that’s always at the back of your head. Any given episode can be your last,” Joe Minoso, who plays Joe Cruz on Chicago Fire, exclusively told Us in April 2022. “This time of year, especially, everybody’s like, ‘Oh man, what’s gonna happen in the finale? What’s gonna happen in the finale?’ We’re all freaking out every year. No one is ever safe. And you try to say, ‘I feel, like, pretty good.'” [jwplayer r6ZVNeT3-zhNYySv2] Minoso added: “Typically when you get to the last two, three episodes if your story line is lighter, you’re kind of happier about it because it means they’re not really focusing on the character. So hopefully they’re not gonna kill you off.” Both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star, which air on Fox, are also known for messing with fans’ hearts when it comes to cast shakeups. One of the newer firefighter dramas for CBS titled Fire Country, which premiered in fall 2022, has already toyed with viewers during season 1 — but the personal story lines have not affected the creator’s focus on accurately depicting how hard a wildfire firefighter’s job is day in and day out. “The biggest thing that I want and hope to achieve with this series is not only to shine the light on firefighters for being the heroes that they are, but also just everything that they go through as humans,” Max Thieriot, who wrote Fire Country and plays its lead character, Bode Donovan, told Collider in January 2023. “It’s important to realize that even though Superman wears a cape, when he takes that cape off, there’s a man underneath it, and it’s important to peel back those layers too. You have to show the good, the bad, and the ugly.” He continued: “I hope to also try to bring awareness to the difficulties that firefighters go through because these people are human. They don’t just go to work every day and come out looking like the heroes that they are underneath that. They go through a lot of emotional and real tragic experiences and they see a lot of horrific things.” Scroll down to see the best firefighter-focused TV shows to add to your must-watch list:

Credit: NBC

'Chicago Fire'

The series was the first of the One Chicago shows to premiere on NBC in 2012. Chicago P.D. followed in 2014 and Chicago Med began in 2015. Chicago Fire follows the firefighters and paramedics working at Firehouse 51. When the series began up-and-coming firefighters Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Matt Casey (Spencer) were front and center. As the show has progressed — season 11 kicked off in 2022 — fellow first responders Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte), Joe Cruz (Minoso), Christopher Hermann (David Eigenberg) and Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) became major players.

Credit: Mathieu Young/ FOX (2)

'9-1-1'

Ryan Murphy’s Fox series premiered in 2018 and season 6 began in fall 2022. Throughout the show, viewers learn about the personal and professional lives of Los Angeles first responders, including Station 118 captain Robert “Bobby” Nash (Peter Krause), Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark), Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds), Howard “Howie” or “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) and Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz (Ryan Guzman). The L.A. firefighters’ lives are intertwined with the police — mainly Athena Grant-Nash (Angela Bassett), who is married to Bobby — and the 9-1-1 dispatchers, including Buck’s sister, Maddie Buckley (Jennifer Love Hewitt).

Credit: Justin Stephens / FOX

'9-1-1: Lone Star'

After the success of 9-1-1, Murphy created the spinoff series, 9-1-1: Lone Star, which takes place in Austin, Texas. The show began in 2020 and season 4 premieres in January 2023. The Fox series focuses on captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) once he transfers from New York City to Texas to revive Firehouse 126, which lost almost all of its firefighters following a tragic accident on the job.

The series also stars Ronen Rubinstein as Owen’s son, Tyler Kennedy “TK” Strand, Jim Parrack as Judson “Judd” Ryder, Brian Michael Smith as Paul Strickland, Natacha Karam as Marjan Marwani and Julian Works as Mateo Chavez.

Credit: Michael Courtney/CBS

'Fire Country'

The Max Thieriot-led series made its debut on CBS in October 2022. In January 2023, it was picked up for season 2. Unlike many other firefighter-based shows, Fire Country details what it’s like to work as part of the Cal Fire team, which almost exclusively fights wildfires in California.

In the show, Bode Donovan (Thieriot) and other prisoners are sent to a Northern California firefighting camp for convicts where they can lessen their sentences by assisting the local firefighters with their jobs. Bode, however, has a stronger tie to the land as he is the son of local Cal Fire Battalion Chief Vince Leone (Billy Burke) and Cal Fire Division Chief Sharone Leone (Diane Farr). His return proves to be difficult as secrets about his past continue to plague the present.

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'Rescue Me'

The FX series spanned seven seasons from 2004 to 2011. Firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) must face his own fears on the job following the aftermath of the bombings on 9/11 in New York City. The darker side of the profession, including Gavin’s PTSD over losing colleagues in the World Trade Center, is balanced by the chaos and humor he finds with fellow firefighters on a daily basis. Leary was a cocreator on the series, which earned eight Emmy Award nominations and a win in 2009 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Michael J. Fox’s role as Dwight.

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'Third Watch'

The NBC series lasted six seasons and aired from 1999 to 2005. The show followed the exploits of the men and women serving in New York City’s fictional 55th Precinct. The cast — which consisted of Coby Bell, Jason Wiles, Skipp Sudduth, Molly Price, Kim Raver, Anthony Ruivivar, Michael Beach and Eddie Cibrian — highlighted both police, paramedics and firefighters’ roles during the 3:00 to 11:00 p.m. shift.

Credit: James Clark/ABC

'Station 19'

Following the success of Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes created the Seattle-based firefighter show in 2018. Season 6 premiered in October 2022. Instead of a hospital, Station 19 is centered around the firefighters who work out of Station 19 in Washington. The stars include Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery and Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop. Grey’s fans will also recognize Jason George, who plays Dr. Ben Warren on both ABC shows.

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'Emergency!'

Emergency! became a hit for NBC when it premiered in 1972. The show ran for seven seasons, ending in 1979. John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) were the main characters on the series, both of whom played firefighters and paramedics with the LA County Fire Department. Most of the stories told on the show were taken from real-life fire station’s logbooks.

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'Code Red'

ABC’s Code Red ran from 1981 to 1982. The short-lived series only lasted one season, but fans were treated to a different spin on the firefighter story. Throughout the show, viewers saw the adventures of Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Joe Rorcheck (Lorne Greene) and his family in addition to his crew’s personal and professional lives.

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'Tacoma FD'

Kevin Heffernan and Steve Lemme cocreated and costar on this truTV comedy, which began in 2019. Each episode explores the funny side of what firefighters do to keep from getting bored in between calls. Season 3 ended in fall 2021.

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'The Smoke'

The U.K. show lasted one season in 2014. It aired on Sky One and starred Jamie Bamber, Jodie Whittaker and Taron Egerton. The premise is centered around firefighter Kev Allison (Bamber), who after getting hurt on the job, must determine if he is ready to go back to work both on an emotional and physical level.

Credit: Courtesy of A&E Network

'Live Rescue'

Live Rescue is the spinoff of A&E’s Live PD. The show, which premiered in 2019, is a docuseries that gives fans a firsthand look at ride-alongs, and real cases that paramedics, firefighters and first responders face every day. Captain Garon Mosby from the St. Louis Fire Department and registered nurse and New Orleans paramedic Dan Flynn give their comment on the episodes. Season 3 aired in 2021.

Credit: Courtesy of A&E Network

'Nightwatch'

In 2015, the reality TV show premiered on A&E. Each season, viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at the men and women who keep New Orleans safe at night with footage of real cases. Season 6 premiered in spring 2022.