The Staging Area, Oct. 8, 2022

Reading Fire staging area
Reading Fire staging area, August 4, 2012, Credit: Lassen NPS

This weekend we are continuing an occasional feature we started a few months ago. This post can serve as the beginning of an open thread where our readers can talk about issues that we have, or have not, gotten into yet. This is literally an off-topic thread. You have the floor.

The usual rules about commenting apply. And remember, no personal attacks or politics, please.

Let’s enjoy a wide-ranging conversation!

Topic starter

Fire Country. CBS.
CBS

Did anyone see the pilot episode of Fire Country Friday night on CBS? It stars stars SEAL Team actor Max Thieriot playing a convict who works to redeem himself through CAL FIRE’s inmate fire crew program.

In May the Director of CAL FIRE, Joe Tyler, sent an email to the agency’s employees indicating that CAL FIRE was not pleased after a trailer was released. Here is an excerpt from the message:

This television series is a misrepresentation of the professional all-hazards fire department and resource protection agency that CAL FIRE is. The dramatization of inmate firefighters fighting members of CAL FIRE is a poor reflection of the value of our Camps Program and the incredible work and leadership of our fire captains who supervise our handcrews.

While we cannot prevent this television series from airing, I believe it is important for each of you to hear from me directly that the Department was not involved in its creation or support.

Fire Country — new TV series beginning this fall

Featuring a fictional member of an inmate hand crew in California

Fire Country TV show
Still images from the Fire Country trailer. CBS.

Starting this fall wildland firefighters will have the dubious pleasure of watching their profession depicted in a television series on a major network. Fire Country is about a guy, Bode Donavan,  who is in a California prison and signs up to serve on a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection inmate hand crew. It turns out that the camp where the crew is based is in his hometown, “The place where all his troubles began,” says the CBS description of the drama.

It is scheduled to air Fridays at 9/8 CT. I’m sure that real firefighters will enjoy picking it apart after it premieres.

In the trailer below, the fire scenes appear to be computer-generated imagery (CGI). Wildfire flames and smoke are some of the most difficult scenes to pull off successfully with CGI. It will be interesting to watch how well it is done. The best I have seen was in Only the Brave, about the Granite Mountain Hotshots.


Update May 28, 2022

The Director of CAL FIRE, Joe Tyler, sent an email to the agency’s employees indicating that CAL FIRE is not pleased. Here is an excerpt:

This television series is a misrepresentation of the professional all-hazards fire department and resource protection agency that CAL FIRE is. The dramatization of inmate firefighters fighting members of CAL FIRE is a poor reflection of the value of our Camps Program and the incredible work and leadership of our fire captains who supervise our handcrews.

While we cannot prevent this television series from airing, I believe it is important for each of you to hear from me directly that the Department was not involved in its creation or support.