Everything you need to know about Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire is a long-running, highly-praised American procedural following the lives and relationships of those who work inside a firehouse.
Based in the fictional Firehouse 51, each episode tracks the call-outs the firefighters, rescue teams, and paramedics stationed there have to attend.
The show covers everything from the split-second calls they have to make and their fallouts, to their interpersonal connections - romantic and otherwise.
It was created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, and executive produced by the legendary Dick Wolf, whose work includes the celebrated procedural franchise Law and Order.
Premiering in October 2010, Chicago Fire became an immediate hit, and remains a staple series for NBC, alongside the rest of the ‘One Chicago’ franchise.
Here’s everything you need to know about the show.
What other is Chicago Fire connected to?
Chicago Fire is part of a collection of series known as the ‘One Chicago’ franchise.
Each series is focused on the emergency services based in Chicago, Illinois - and as a result, there are often crossovers between cases where more than one service is required.
Chicago Fire was the first of the franchise. Chicago PD launched in 2014 and Chicago Med launched in 2015.
All three shows are currently on the air and have been renewed for more seasons.
A fourth series, Chicago Justice, premiered in 2017 but was cancelled after one season.
Who stars in Chicago Fire?
As is the case with most shows that last 14 seasons, the Chicago Fire cast amounts to hundreds of stars over the show’s run.
The main cast for season 12 was:
Taylor Kinney (Zero Dark Thirty, The Vampire Diaries) as Lieutenant Kelly Severide
David Eigenberg (Sex and the City, The Mothman Prophecies) as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann
Joe Minoso (Man of Steel, Get Shorty) as Firefighter Joe Cruz
Christian Stolte (Public Enemies, The Unseen) as Firefighter Randall "Mouch" McHolland
Miranda Rae Mayo (Days of Our Lives, Pretty Little Liars) as Lieutenant Stella Kidd
Daniel Kyri (The T) as Firefighter Darren Ritter
Hanako Greensmith as Paramedic Violet Mikami
Eamonn Walker (Oz, Unbreakable) as Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden
Alberto Rosende, who played firefighter Blake Gallo, had his final episode in the season premiere, ‘Barely Gone’. He had appeared in 80 episodes by the time he said goodbye.
Kara Killmer, who played Paramedic in Charge Sylvie Brett, also left the show this season after 193 episodes. She joined the show in season three.
How successful is Chicago Fire and what awards has it won?
The entire One Chicago franchise has established a dedicated fanbase in the US and internationally.
In the case of Chicago Fire, the show premiered with a strong average of 7.78 million viewers for US network NBC during season one.
This peaked in season eight with 11.7 million viewers on average watching every week.
Season 10 ended with a slight dip of 9.81 million.
In terms of awards recognition, Chicago Fire has earned 25 nominations - including for Best Drama at the People’s Choice awards in 2024 – and six wins.
It currently stands at an 8.0/10 rating for IMDb, and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is the age rating of Chicago Fire?
Chicago Fire’s official rating in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the complete run. In the US, it is marked as PG-13 or TV-14.
All three ratings warn that there may be scenes that may be inappropriate for younger or pre-teen audiences.
Reasons for this rating include:
Implied sex scenes (though never explicitly shown)
Minimal to no nudity
Mild violence
Frequent depictions of peril and dangerous situations
Depictions of severe injuries including burns, blood, and in some cases, death
Moderate displays of bloodshed, most typically in a medical situation while someone administers aid
How many episodes of Chicago Fire are there?
Chicago Fire is still on the air, and at the time of writing (October 2025), the show has run for 13 seasons and 274 episodes in total, with a 14th season currently airing in the US.
Each season has run between 20 and 24 episodes each - with the exception of season nine, which only had 16.
This was due to the season airing in 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic having an adverse effect on production with multiple shutdowns and delays.
Season 14, consisting of 21 episodes, is due to air on Sky Witness in the UK in November 2025.
How to watch Chicago Fire in the UK
Chicago Fire seasons 12 and 13 are available to watch now on Sky Witness and NOW.
Seasons 1-9 are currently available on Amazon’s Prime Video service.