No matter who is on Truck, Engine, and Squad at Firehouse 51, you can count on them to come to your rescue — and bring the drama at the same time. For 12 seasons, Chicago Fire has had a rotating door of firefighters and paramedics and the most recent season was no different.
With Chief Wallace Boden leaving the firehouse to take the deputy commissioner role (and Eamonn Walker exiting as a series regular), the biggest question going into Season 13 is who is going to lead Firehouse 51? But, that’s only one of the reasons fans are eager for the return of Chicago Fire on NBC this fall.
Chicago Fire Season 13 will be here before you know it, so we want to answer the questions you have ahead of the premiere. Here’s everything you need to know, including when it premieres, who will be in the season, and where you can watch it.
Chicago Fire Season 13 latest news
Jocelyn Hudon, who played Paramedic Lyla Novak, has been upped to a series regular, according to Deadline. Hudon was a recurring guest in Season 12 as Novak came to Firehouse 51 as a floater while Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith) tried to find a permanent replacement for Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer). At the end of Season 12, Novak agreed to ride with Ambulance 61 for good — so Hudon’s promotion to series regular doesn’t come as a total surprise. And in the series’ biggest casting news, Dermot Mulroney is joining Chicago Fire as new chief Dom Pascal.
Also of note, Season 13 of Chicago Fire will return to its normal length of 22 episodes, according to TVLine. (Season 12 was shortened to only 13 episodes because of delays due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes.)
Chicago Fire Season 13 release date
Chicago Fire Season 13 will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. on NBC and live on Peacock in most areas (for those with a subscription). The premiere will be available on the streaming service the next day.
Sept. 25 will mark the return of all One Chicago shows: It begins with Chicago Med at 8 p.m. and ends with Chicago P.D. at 10 p.m.
What will Chicago Fire Season 13 be about?
First and foremost, Chicago Fire Season 13 will explore what Firehouse 51 looks like without Chief Boden at the helm. In the Season 12 finale, he hinted to Christopher Herrmann that he’d like him to take over. “Look after our family,” the former chief said. However, David Eigenberg, who plays Herrmann, told TV Insider, that his character isn’t ready for this role.
“The character can’t make a shift to a chief unless we were deep into TV falsehoods,” Eigenberg explained while highlighting that Hermann is only a lieutenant. “I’m not going to let him do that. He has to become a captain, and then you got to go through a whole thing.”
So, if the new chief is not Herrmann, who is it? In mid-June, Deadline reported that production sources revealed there will be a new character named Dom Pascal who is returning to the Chicago Fire Department after a decade in Miami to serve as the chief. NBC announced in late July that Dermot Mulroney had been cast as Chief Pascal.
Another storyline that must be answered in Chicago Fire Season 13 is how Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) will handle having a new family member. Firefighter Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) seemed to be keeping a secret when he appeared at Firehouse 51 as a floater in Season 12. And in the finale, he revealed to Severide that he’s his half-brother. Because their father has died (he was played by actor Treat Williams who passed in 2023), this is a relationship the two of them will have to navigate alone.
Finally, Season 13 will need to address the romantic status of Violet and Sam Carver (Jake Lockett). After admitting he was falling in love, Carver went on furlough. Will Violet be able to close the distance between them — or will he stay gone?
Chicago Fire Season 13 cast
Aside from the announcement about Hudon being a series regular, Eamonn exiting (although, he could still guest star), and Mulroney joining the cast, no other casting news has been made official. Below is who we anticipate to return to the NBC drama.
Chicago Fire cast:
Taylor Kinney as Lieutenant Kelly Severide
David Eigenberg as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann
Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz
Christian Stolte as Randall “Mouch” McHolland
Miranda Rae Mayo as Lieutenant Stella Kidd
Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter
Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami
Jake Lockett as Sam Carver
Randy Flagler as Capp
Anthony Ferraris as Tony
Katelynn Shennett as Kylie Estevez
Michael Bradway as Firefighter Jack Damon
Dermot Mulroney as Chief Dom Pascal
Where to watch Chicago Fire
All 12 seasons of Chicago Fire are available to stream on Peacock with a subscription. Episodes are also available to purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.