Fire Country Realism Controversy: Unveiling the Startling Truth Behind Cal Fire's Criticism

Summary

Cal Fire, the real department responsible for firefighting operations in California, has criticized the CBS drama series Fire Country. This show, centered around prisoners assisting Cal Fire, has received backlash for its inaccurate portrayal of the department's activities.

The director of Cal Fire conveyed displeasure in an email regarding Fire Country's depiction, stating that the show misrepresents the high-level professionalism of Cal Fire as a fire department and resource protection agency.

Despite their disappointment with Cal Fire's reaction, the cast and crew of Fire Country recognized the necessity to fictionalize certain elements of the fire department for the purpose of entertainment as they acknowledged the show's fictional nature.

The premise of Fire Country centers around a group of prisoners participating in the California Conservation Camp Program, where they assist the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Cal Fire is a real-life fire department responsible for safeguarding vast forested areas along the West Coast. However, members of Cal Fire have publicly criticized the CBS drama series, stating that it does not accurately portray their operations in California.

The central character in Fire Country is Bode Leone, portrayed by Max Thieriot, an inmate who volunteers for Cal Fire in hopes of reducing his prison sentence. The ensemble cast includes Kevin Alejandro as Manny Perez, Jordan Calloway as Jake Crawford, Stephanie Arcila as Gabriela Perez, Jules Latimer as Eve Edwards, Diane Farr as Sharon Leone, and Billy Burke as Vince Leone. After the release of the Fire Country trailer in May 2022, both the cast and crew faced scrutiny when the real Cal Fire questioned the show's authenticity.

Why The Real Cal Fire Criticized Fire Country's Accuracy

The director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Joe Tyler, expressed his displeasure with the portrayal of Cal Fire in the TV series Fire Country in an email to The Los Angeles Times. Despite having only seen the trailer, Tyler was unhappy with how the cast and crew planned to depict the fire department and resource protection agency. He stated, "This television series does not accurately represent the professional all-hazards fire department that Cal Fire is."

While the creators of Fire Country were disappointed with Cal Fire's reaction, they acknowledged that the show was a work of fiction, not a documentary. They understood that certain aspects of the fire department needed to be dramatized for entertainment purposes. Nonetheless, the show had a successful first season and CBS renewed it for a second season prior to the writers and actors strikes in 2023.

Fire Country Failed Lawsuit Attempt Explained

Besides Joe Tyler, there were others within the real-life Cal Fire organization who shared the same dissatisfaction with Fire Country. Tim Edwards, the president of the Cal Fire union, expressed his sentiments by stating, "I want to emphasize that we were not involved in the creation or production of the show, and we do not endorse the series. We have consulted with our legal team, and unfortunately, we are unable to prevent the series from airing or using the Cal Fire name."

Cal Fire made efforts to legally challenge the television show for its use of their name and sought to mandate a disclaimer in every episode to address the alleged inaccuracies in the portrayal of their department. However, their attempts proved ineffective. Fire Country is still able to utilize the Cal Fire name without being required to include a disclaimer in each episode.

Related: The Los Angeles Times