Where was ‘Fire Country’ filmed? Inside the real towns behind the hit CBS drama
Over the past four years, 'Fire Country' has built a commendable fan base. The hit CBS show not only strikes a chord with its audience through its brilliant ensemble, but also by the serene locations it often takes its viewers to. The show is inspired by the real-life Cal Fire (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) program and mainly deals with the fatal wildfires that often ravage the region. However, in reality, the fires and other locations portrayed in the show are not in California. Instead, they are filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. The decision to shoot in Canada may have been taken due to production concerns, but co-creator and star Max Thieriot is not unhappy about it.
Theriot claimed that Vancouver is not much different from California in terms of wildfires. “Canada goes through more than their fair share of fires," the actor shared. “I know last year was wild and very difficult … Certainly, something that has been in a lot of people’s minds these days.” The showmakers, though, try to keep as much of California as possible in the show, considering that the show’s premise is set there. Some shots of Rio Dell, a city in California, often appear in the show, and the Season 1 trailer featured some California staples, like the Eel River Valley and Wildwood Avenue.
The fictional town of Edgewater, where the main characters reside, comprises sites from Anmore and Fort Langley, two villages in Vancouver, Canada. All the outside scenes of Station 42 are actually recorded around the Anmore fire station. The interior scenes take place on a soundstage of Vancouver Film Studios. Other soundstages are used for shots in places like Smokey’s or the home of Leones. Anmore fits the show's needs perfectly as it hosts around a hundred parks and natural spaces, which come in handy for scenes related to natural wildfires. It also provides the picturesque landscape needed to reflect the serenity showmakers want to associate with Edgewater.
The city elements of Edgewater are mostly shot in Fort Langley. The village has a classic wooden fort with 12 structures, which may feature as bunk beds for prisoners from Three Rock. These inmates help firefighters get wildfires under control. Not only 'Fire Country', but many other shows like 'Smallville', 'Supernatural', 'The X-Files', 'Riverdale', and 'Once Upon a Time' have used such Canadian villages as a backdrop for their American shows. This is primarily due to the lucrative incentives these locations provide to producers and the fact that these villages can appear similar to American locales. 'Fire Country' airs new episodes every Friday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Earlier this year, in January, it was renewed for a fifth season.
