CBS Cuts 'Fire Country' Season 5 to 13 Episodes Amid Showrunner Change
CBS Cuts 'Fire Country' Season 5 to 13 Episodes Amid Showrunner Change
Rachelle LewisSun, May 3, 2026 at 7:23 PM UTC
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Fire Country Season 4 is winding down, and a lengthy summer break for the hit CBS drama is on the horizon.
When Fire Country Season 5 returns in the fall, a couple of things will be different for the show. One of them is behind the scenes, but the other fans will notice for sure.
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CBS has dropped the bombshell that Fire Country will have only 13 episodes in Season 5. The episode count is down from the 20 episodes in Season 4.
Fire Country has had at least a 20-episode order for all seasons except Season 2, but that was due to the writer's strike and SAG strikes. Getting a 13-episode order is a shocker because CBS has been killing it on Friday nights with Sheriff Country, Fire Country, and Boston Blue since last fall.
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In fact, at the network’s unveiling of the fall schedule, Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach confirmed that Friday nights will stay intact with the three shows. However, with the news that Fire Country will be seven episodes shorter than Sheriff Country and Boston Blue, another series will join them on Friday nights at some point.
Related: ‘Fire Country’ Star Makes Major Career Announcement
According to Deadline,Fire Country isn’t the only CBS show to face cuts so that the network can fit more dramas into the 2026/27 season. NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney were each given a 10-episode order, while Matlock got a 13-episode order and won’t air until mid-season.
News of the smaller episode count comes after it was revealed that Fire Country showrunner Tia Napolitano, who has been with the CBS drama from the beginning, is stepping down. Napolitano will be focusing on her own development deal with the network.
Season 4 of Fire Country wraps up on May 22. Fans are in for a treat ahead of the finale as Shawn Hatosy returns as Battalion Chief Richards in the May 15 episode and will be there to help end the season with a bang.
Fire Country airs Fridays at 9/8c on CBS.
Next: Grammy-Winning Country Star to Appear on ‘Sheriff Country’
This story was originally published by Parade on May 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
